After the Angels sing
by phantom12
Summary: Kim's been gone for five years. But something happens that surprisingly brings her close to home, where friendship and danger emerge from hiding.
1. After the Angels Sing

Disclaimer: Kimberly Hart and all other characters of MMPR belong to Saban/Disney. Obvious original characters belong to me.

Author's notes: This is definitely an AU fic. It'll be obvious when you see it. Kimberly _did_ send the letter for reasons yet to be revealed. Aliens do appear later in the fic. In this story, Kim encounters a child much like herself and rescues her. But with a child in tow, Kim is surprised to find herself headed home to Angel Grove… where friendship and danger emerge from hiding.

-

After the Angels Sing -

Kimberly Hart was in fact no more. She was still there physically, but the soul of Kimberly Hart was hidden inside a barricade of sarcasm and toughness. Her spunkiness was still exhilaratingly loud and her stubbornness never failed her. Her optimism about her current situation was always rising, no matter how depressing things seemed to become. Her petite posture was as graceful, if not more, as during her past years as an anonymous and brightly-colored super hero. Although much skinnier, her tiny figure fooled all who viewed her as young and innocent woman. Her muscles and agility were her strengths, and she wasn't afraid to use them, as many had found out through the years. But she was no longer Kimberly Hart. The person who stood in Kimberly Hart's place was older and more experienced with life. She had a sharp tongue if someone stepped on a wrong stone, but she always smiled if someone picked the right one. There was no baby fat on this woman; in fact, there was no fat. Years of skipping meals and working odd-jobs had taken away any signs of plumpness she might've had if she'd chosen a different course of action five years ago. But she knew there was no use in dwelling on the past, because she couldn't change it. So the young woman constantly looked to the future. Her name was now Kimberly Harper.

Kimberly Hart had long given up her dreams of being a world-class gymnast. After an amazing debut at the Pan Globals, she quit. Thankfully, the media never found out why. After one particular traumatizing week while training, something had happened. She didn't feel herself anymore. She sent a letter. She cut off all ties. She trained. She competed. She purchased a used motorcycle. She never said goodbye.

It was surprisingly easy to become Kimberly Harper. She'd run a search on infant deaths around her birth year and found one suitable. She stole that baby's social security number. After that, everything came easy. Acquiring a new name, a motorcycle license, a biography, fake experience, all the paperwork it took to become Kimberly Harper. And although he never knew it, she'd silently thanked a childhood friend named Billy for teaching her the skills she needed for Kimberly Hart to disappear. Not long after she left the gymnasium, she truly was Kimberly Harper.

For five years, she'd traveled across the country. She'd lived off of low-wage pay, usually two jobs at a time. Often she'd pay rent for little apartments months at a time. She'd never stayed in one place more than three months. She even learned to fix her bike by herself, allowing her to travel from state to state.

At one point, Jason Scott, a former teammate and friend, managed to bump into her in Georgia while he was on vacation. To his shock, he'd found that she changed drastically. It wouldn't be quite obvious to anyone but Jason and a certain white knight, but it was true. She had changed, and it scared him. He convinced her to let him buy her a cell phone to keep in touch, after an infinity of promises for Jason not to give the number out to _anyone_, especially a certain "you-know-who". After that, she never saw him. She never let him see her, that is. But he called the phone approximately once a week to keep tabs on her. She was distant, granted, but Kim had the feeling that Jason didn't care. _Perhaps it was the guilt_, Kim once pondered semi-bitterly.

Besides the fact that Jason paid her cell phone bill from his permanent residence in Northern California, Kim was completely independent. And she liked it. Unlike Hart, Harper liked being alone. But something, or someone, changed all she'd become in less than three weeks during her stay in Phoenix, Arizona.

She'd been working as a waitress at a place called DJ's. It was the only waitressing job she'd acquired where she didn't need a second job to pull the rent and eat at the same time, largely due to the tips. Kim had been living in a comfortable apartment. She'd long since given up television and movies; her entertainment was fixated on books. She'd had more free time since she'd gotten the unheard-of high-paying job at DJ's. Her life was very comfortable in New Mexico, that is, until a child tried to pickpocket her wallet while passing by on the second floor of her apartment building.

Instinctively with lightning reflexes, she'd swung around and caught the tiny wrist in her hand demanding an explanation. "What are you doing?" Kim asked sharply.

"I…" the frightened girl squirmed in Kim's grasp. Kim instantly recognized her as the girl who lived down the hall from her apartment. She'd seen her several times in the evening playing outside, or in the hallway cowering from her father's glare. Now, she had a closer view of the skinny girl who came up to Kimberly's chest in height. Kim eyed the brunette child up and down and gently released her grip.

"Come with me," Kimberly said quietly, but sternly. She led the child to her apartment and unlocked the door, letting her in. The child cautiously stepped inside, surveying her surroundings nervously. "Have a seat," Kim gestured towards a chair and a pathetically sized table. The girl obeyed.

For a moment, Kim disappeared behind a cabinet door and returned with a can in hand. "Are you hungry?" Kim asked casually, hoping to ease the child's nerves.

"I don't know," was the quiet response.

"I'll take that as a yes." Kim proceeded to heat a pot on the stove and poured the contents in. As she waited for it to heat up, she leaned against the wall opposite the child. "What's your name, honey?"

"Alyssa Granger," the girl responded, letting her shoulders relax a little. This was definitely not the kind of punishment Alyssa was expecting.

"That's a pretty name," Kim smiled. "Mine's Kim Harper." She leaned in closer to the child and maintained a calm tone in her voice. "Now, why would a pretty little girl like you be trying to steal my wallet?"

Alyssa lowered her head and grumbled, "I don't know."

"Uh-huh," Kim eyed her suspiciously. "I see. Are you sorry?"

"Yes," Alyssa replied, tears threatening to break free as she flinched under Kim's eyes.

Kim's voice became suddenly gentle. "And you'll never do it again? To anyone?"

"I won't," Alyssa shook her head furiously. "I really won't."

"Okay, then," Kim assured her with a slight smile. "I forgive you."

Alyssa let out a tiny breath as Kim chuckled. "Dinner is served," Kim announced as she brought the heated soup over in two bowls. Alyssa devoured her soup in a matter of minutes, while Kim subtly observed her. When they were finished, Kim put the dishes away.

"Do you want to tell your father where you are?" Kim asked after she cleaned up.

"He doesn't get home until seven," Alyssa responded. "He's got work."

"I see," Kim nodded looking at her watch. It was only 6:30pm. After thinking for a moment, Kim realized she'd never seen her little neighbor with her mother. "Where's your Mom?"

"She left," Alyssa announced casually.

"Left?" Kim asked again. "You never see her?"

"No. The last time I saw her I was seven."

"How old are you now?"

"Nine and a half," came Alyssa's proud declaration. Kim laughed in response. Then Alyssa startled Kim with a question of her own. "What about you? Where's your Mom and Dad?"

"Oh," Kim sighed, hating to lie to children. "They're dead."

"Oh," Alyssa looked away uncomfortably. "That's sad." She studied the wall impatiently for a moment then asked, "How old are _you_?"

"Twenty-two."

"That's old…" Alyssa pondered innocently, bringing a small hand to her chin. "I'll never be that old," she declared.

Kim laughed, enjoying her short time with her new young companion. "Yeah, I can hardly believe it myself."

"My dad's thirty-something," Alyssa rambled. "And that's pretty old, I think. But I don't know how old my Mom is. My dad's a construction worker. What do you do?"

"I'm a waitress at DJ's," Kim replied.

"Does working suck?" Alyssa asked bluntly.

Chuckling, Kim said truthfully, "No. Nothing can ever suck unless you let it."

Alyssa and Kimberly rambled on for fifteen minutes, clearly forgetting the wallet incident not too long ago. A growing bond between the two seemed to spark, and Kim found herself saying just before she let Alyssa out of the apartment, "If you need a place to stay, Alyssa, you can always come here when I'm home. Ok?"

Alyssa paused and threw a suspicious glance at Kim, but she nodded silently and left.

After Alyssa was safely inside her own apartment, Kim's mind began to race. The entire conversation played out in her mind, the entire time Kim pretending not to notice the bruises on Alyssa's neck. Or the fact that a nine-year-old was left home alone in the middle of a city. And Kim _knew_ the reason Alyssa had tried to take her wallet; Alyssa was hungry, plain and simple. If it weren't for Alyssa's skinny figure, Kim would've found out by the way Alyssa gulped down every bit of food. But it wasn't her business, was it? After all, her crime-fighting days were over. A single phrase ran through her mind, "Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger." Kim knew the signs of abuse personally. The only people who knew of her past were the original Rangers; not even her white knight had been told anything. All her once-true love had known was that her parents had divorced when she was thirteen.

But was it really Kim's business to do something about it? She wanted to ignore it, to let Alyssa toughen up a little from life's swings. But after making it a point to save the world on a regular basis, could she not help one little girl? Did Kim even know how to help? More importantly, did Kim want Alyssa to turn out like herself?

The last question struck her. _Turn out like me?_, Kim Harper wondered silently. _What's wrong with turning out like me? I'm happy, aren't I?_ The sudden thought stirred the Kimberly Hart within. _I'm strong, I'm independent. I don't need anyone._ _So why am I worried she'll turn out like me?_

Kim's thoughts were at civil war inside her head. Thankfully, the chiming of a little cell phone broke her thoughts. She picked it up and glanced at the caller ID warily. "What's up, Jason," she breathed when she pressed talk.

"You don't sound surprised to hear me!" Jason faked hurt. "My heart's broken!"

"You'll get over it," Kim sighed.

Immediately, Jason knew something wasn't right. "What's wrong, Kim?" Although she had changed, she always seemed relatively happy to hear Jason on the phone.

"Nothing," Kim replied a little too quickly. "I just got some stuff on my mind."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Jason offered.

Kim scoffed in response.

"Right," Jason replied dryly. "You _never_ talk about anything serious."

"There's nothing to talk about Jason," Kim replied in a kinder tone. "So, what's the news?"

"Well," Jason's voice sounded more excited, "Emily said yes! We're getting married!"

"I see," Kim said unemotionally. Kim had heard of all his plans on asking Emily to marry him almost every time Jason called for the past month.

"You don't sound too excited," Jason said, feeling a little hurt.

"No," Kim sighed truthfully, "I _do_ think it's really great Jason. You deserve someone who treats you as well as she does. I can't wait to hear about the wedding."

"Hear about it?" Jason asked, surprised. "I assumed you'd attend."

"Oh…" Kimberly trailed off, thinking silently.

"Kim, I've known you since kindergarten," Jason pleaded. "I know you don't want to come home, and you don't have to. Think of it as a vacation. All you have to do is sit through the wedding and the reception. I just want my best friend to be there when I get married."

Kim smiled awkwardly. _He still considers me his best friend_, she thought, _after all these years. This guy never gives up_. "Well…"

"Well, how about this, Kimmy… Don't say yes, but don't say no either. Just think about it for a little bit ok? The wedding's not for six months."

Kim sighed in defeat. "Fine, deal. I'll think about it." She paused momentarily. "So, if I say yes, since I'm your best friend, do I get to be the only girl in a tuxedo?" she joked.

"Nah, sorry," Jason laughed. "The part of the best man is already taken. But Emily offered to have you as one of the bridesmaids. Think about it, Kim. How long has it been since you wore a dress?"

Kim didn't hear the last part of what Jason said. Her thoughts were strictly on who she knew would be the best man.

When Jason didn't hear Kim's response, he mentally smacked himself in the head. "Kim?" he begged, worried he'd never be able to get her to attend the wedding.

"The best man is Tommy, isn't it?" Kim accused.

Jason rubbed the back of his neck and after a moment responded, "Yeah, Kim." The silence on the other side of the line deafened his ears. He decided to try a little bit of reverse psychology. "I thought you were over him."

"What?" Kim replied flabbergasted. "That's the most ridiculous accusation I've heard in like two years!"

"I see," Jason chuckled inwardly. "Well, then it shouldn't be a problem then."

"I said I'd think about it, and I will."

"I'm glad, Kim. I really want to see you there. And I really want you to meet Emily. She's great."

For another half-hour they chatted away. And Kim hung on to every word of Jason's, for the first time in five years, desperate for more companionship.

-

Alyssa Granger visited Kim after school the next day. And the next day. And the next. And to her surprise, Kimberly Harper didn't mind at all. They'd spent the first few days of their companionship getting to know each other, as Kim mentally recorded Alyssa's behavior and physical condition. Kim's suspicions were very high, but she had no hard proof.

Approximately a week after their first encounter, Alyssa was sullen. Her brown locks were thrown messily into a ponytail, and dark circles invaded the space under her eyelids. She slumped against the hallway wall next to Kim's apartment door, waiting patiently for Kim to return from her dayshift at DJ's. Not long after, she had fallen asleep.

Ten minutes later, Kimberly was standing over the small, exhausted child, suspicions flaring. Bending down, she roused the girl by the shoulders to receive a whimper in response as Alyssa's eyelids shot open in surprise… and terror.

Kim swallowed and pretended not to notice. "Hey, kid," she greeted Alyssa as warmly as possible. "Not a great spot for a nap." She unlocked the door to her apartment as Alyssa pulled herself together. "Come on in. Hit the couch, kid."

Alyssa trudged lazily to the couch and plopped onto it facedown.

"You hungry, Alyssa?" Kimberly called after her from the kitchen.

"No," Alyssa's muffled voice called back.

_That's odd_, Kim thought. _She never turns down an offer for food. And by now, she should be chatting up a storm…_

Kim headed to her room and changed out of her DJ's shirt, and returned to find Alyssa asleep on the small sofa. Kim sighed and leaned against the wall, watching Alyssa's chest rise and fall to the rhythm of a deep sleep.

Thoughts of abuse kept screaming into Kim's mind, as she tried to brush it off. There wasn't anything she could do. Yes, she was a super hero once, but this is … entirely different. Kim honestly wanted to help. But she didn't know how. Under these kinds of circumstances, she didn't know how to help anyone, let alone herself. _But_, Kim rationalized,_ I do know someone who does know how to handle this._

-

Jason glanced at the caller ID of his cell phone and panicked. Kim _never _called him. Jason had always been the one to call her. Something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Jason asked immediately.

"What makes you think that?" came the dry reply of his old friend. After Jason didn't respond, Kim continued. "Fine. I have a question."

"Ok," Jason relaxed as he sat down on his kitchen counter. "What do you need to know?"

There was an awkward pause. "Do you remember when my parents got divorced?"

"Yes…" Jason had never _ever _heard Kim talk about the divorce of her parents after it occurred. "Why?"

"It's… personal, I guess." Kim fought to bring the words out of her mouth. "Before the divorce, Jason. Do you remember that too?"

"I can't forget it," Jason replied honestly. What in the world could stir such memories in his little sister? "Kim, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Kim lied, "It's just some stuff I've never come to terms with."

"Kim," Jason's voice became suddenly soft. "You never talked about this after it all happened. Why suddenly bring it up now?"

"I just need to know, okay?" Kim's voice had grown into a tiny whisper and Jason decided not to antagonize her.

"Okay, Kim. What do you need to know?"

"How did you do… what you did? I mean, what made you tell the police what was going on?"

"What do you mean? I did what I thought was right."

"But _why_, Jason? Why didn't you just leave me alone? Why didn't you just let me deal with it?"

"Because," Jason said boldly, "my best friend was serious trouble. And I couldn't stand to see her get hurt."

If Kimberly Hart had been on the line instead of Kimberly Harper, she'd be crying. But instead, Kim Harper didn't respond at all.

Jason continued softly, "Kim, that's what friendship is. When someone's in trouble, you help 'em no matter what. We both knew that. We _all_ knew that. _That's_ why we were chosen to save the world. I did what I had to do, Kim. Don't hate me for it, please."

Kimberly let out a breath and said, "I don't blame you for doing that at all, Jason. Trust me. I'm sorry I made you think that. But I have one more question, and I want you to answer honestly."

"Okay."

"Do you regret turning in my father for hitting me?"

"Never, Kim," Jason declared. "I _never_ regret getting you out of that nightmare. I'd do it again if the situation ever arose."

"Thanks, Jason," Kimberly sighed, dutifully knowing what she had to do. "That's all."

"You sure, Kim?" Jason sounded worried.

"Yes, I'm sure."

-

Kimberly pulled some strings from a friend at DJ's to acquire all the video equipment. After all, Kim didn't own a television, let alone a VCR or a micro-camera. She would have no problem setting up the video equipment at all. Billy had made sure during her Ranger years that she learned everything she possibly could about technology. She'd hidden the television and VCR in her room to hide it from Alyssa.

There was, however, one tiny problem. It didn't take much to fix it. She simply waited for Alyssa to fall asleep on her couch, and Kimberly 'borrowed' the keys to Alyssa's apartment.

Kimberly unlocked the door to Alyssa's apartment after making sure no nosy neighbors were around. Stepping inside, she surveyed her surroundings. It was the same shape as her own apartment, except with an obvious second bedroom as an addition. She pondered where to hook up the wireless camera.

Thinking back to the dreadful age of twelve, she remembered that most abuse that occurred within her house were in the kitchen or living room. Thankfully, the kitchen and the living room were the same room. She pulled a chair over to a corner, and taped the wireless micro-camera in a small hole in the corner of the ceiling.

She swiftly moved the chair back to its original position and glanced at the mess around her. _Ugh,_ Kim thought. _No wonder Alyssa likes spending more time at my place than hers._

In no time, Kim had the lights off, the apartment door locked, and key on the floor next to where Alyssa had fallen asleep on the sofa of Kim's apartment. At 6:45pm, Alyssa roused from her sleep.

"How'd this get here?" Alyssa asked as she picked up her key from the floor. She glanced at Kim who was silently reading a book.

"You must've dropped it, kiddo," Kim responded casually.

-

Kim had been watching the video for days. She knew it was illegal to set up a camera in someone else's home. But as she thought of Jason and what Jason went through to get her out of her abusive house, she knew she was doing the right thing.

But nothing much ever showed up on the camera, much to Kim's dismay. Most of the time, Alyssa stayed out of the way of her father. And when her father, the messy fool, was ever home, he was drunk. He didn't pay all that much attention to Alyssa anyway. But as Kim thought on, she wondered if she'd be able to keep her cool if she _did_ catch Mr. Granger hitting his daughter.

It wasn't until a week later that Kim got her chance for hard evidence of abuse. She was headed home after a long day at DJ's. It'd been one of the roughest waitressing days she'd had. Crying babies, obnoxious yuppies, and not enough waitresses to cover the day shift. It was, indeed a long day. But it was about to get longer.

As she approached the second floor of the apartment building she stopped suddenly at the sound of crying. _Alyssa's crying_. She stopped reflexively and listened as a very angry Mr. Granger stood presumably in the hallway noisily scolding his daughter. Apparently they'd just arrived home. There was more crying and more scolding, until Kim heard a very distinctive slap.

Immediately, Kim came out of her trance and stepped into the hallway much to the surprise of the Alyssa and Mr. Granger. Alyssa immediately turned away from Kim in shame. But Kimberly had her eyes on someone else momentarily.

"Is there anything wrong?" Kim demanded, holding herself high as she glared icily at Mr. Granger.

"No," Mr. Granger had huffed grumpily as he opened his apartment and dragged his small daughter inside.

After they disappeared into their home, Kim bolted to her own apartment and into her bedroom where she flipped on the television and watched.

"Holy Fuck," Kimberly cursed under her breath. Mr. Granger was towering over the little girl in the living room as she cowered beneath him. "C'mon," Kim pleaded, silently hating herself for wanting something bad to happen so Kim could catch the man in action. Kim's hands were sweating and she rubbed them together anxiously watching the scene that played before her eyes.

And there it was. Mr. Granger had hit Alyssa across the face, and she toppled onto the ground covering her tears with her hands. Kim had done it; she had found evidence of abuse. That was all she needed to have Mr. Granger arrested. All she needed to do now was turn the tape in to the police.

That should've been all Kim did. But something inside of Kimberly Harper sparked, something snapped inside. It was Kimberly Hart, emerging after five years of hiding. She immediately bolted out of her room, out of the apartment and found herself kicking in the Granger apartment's door.

Alyssa was on the floor crying, surprised at Kim's entrance.

"What the hell do you think you're doing in my home!" Mr. Granger cried angrily. Kimberly didn't answer. She simply marched up to the man twice her size and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to his jaw. He fell. His body hit the floor and snapped Kim out of her trance.

She glanced over at Alyssa as Mr. Granger stirred. "Pack your things," Kim demanded sternly, but gently, to Alyssa.

Alyssa sat there stunned for a moment before she nodded and disappeared in her room. She'd go _anywhere_ with Kim.

"Now, what in the hell do you think you're doing?" Mr. Granger slurred as he got up. "You're not taking her anywhere."

"Try and stop me," Kimberly whispered.

Mr. Granger lunged at her with a punch, which she easily dodged. She retaliated with a sidekick to his head, and he slumped onto the floor. He was barely awake when Kim leaned down and whispered into his ear, "If you even _try_ to take Alyssa back, I swear I will _kill_ you next time." Mr. Granger then slipped into unconsciousness, and Kimberly Hart hid back inside the body of Kimberly Harper.

Kim surveyed his body, and left it to climb a chair and snatch the micro camera out of its hiding spot. Then she ran into Alyssa's room to find the child shoving her things into a gym bag. "Take only the things you need," Kim said as she helped Alyssa finish up. "I can get you anything you forget, ok?"

Alyssa nodded, and Kim took her by the hand and led her out over her father's unconscious body and out the apartment door. Kim brought Alyssa into her own apartment and into the kitchen, where an empty bag lay on the counter.

"Take this bag," Kim instructed calmly, "and put as much food from the pantry in it as you can, okay? Don't bother with the fridge."

Alyssa nodded and did as she was told, as Kim headed to her room and grabbed a duffel bag. She proceeded to toss her necessities in it. Once she was finished, she made a break for the VCR and pulled out the tape inside. She hastily shoved it into the side pocket of her bag just as Alyssa approached her doorway. Without looking up at Alyssa's entrance, she placed the micro camera safely on top the VCR.

"Come one, kiddo," Kim said gently as she took Alyssa by the hand again. "Can you carry your own bag?"

Alyssa nodded.

Soon, they were out of the apartment building and Kim was strapping the bags to her motorcycle. _Thank God Alyssa's small_, Kim thought to herself as she piled the three bags on. She tossed Alyssa her only helmet and helped her onto the bike.

"Hold on, Alyssa," Kim directed. She started the bike and before Kim knew it, they were at DJ's. Kim brought Alyssa in with her through the back of the restaurant where she spotted Nancy, her manager.

"Nancy!" Kim called, with the child in tow. "I quit."

"What? Kimberly, what's wrong?" Nancy, a middle-aged plump woman asked concernedly.

"Nothing," Kim panted. "I know it's short notice, but I wouldn't do this unless I had a reason, okay? I need my last paycheck."

Nancy nodded somewhat understandingly. "I have your paycheck in the office upstairs." She glanced at the timid little girl standing next to her former employee and yelled to the cook, "Juano! Bring out some french fries for the little princess here!"

Kimberly noticed Nancy's expression and took Alyssa over to a chair near the telephones. "Stay here, okay? Juano the cook will make some french fries for you. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Kimberly followed Nancy upstairs into the office. Nancy immediately began rummaging through the paychecks. "What's wrong, Kim?" she asked without lifting her head.

"Nothing, I just have to leave very suddenly," Kim stated somewhat truthfully.

"Who's the kid?"

Kimberly hadn't thought of what to tell people before this. Everything had happened in such a rush. But before she could really think about it, her mouth had opened and said, "My sister." It made perfect sense. Kimberly and Alyssa had almost the exact same shade of caramel hair, with brown eyes and petite figures to match. It wouldn't be hard for anyone to believe they were sisters.

"I thought your parents were dead," Nancy raised her eyebrows at Kim.

"They are," Kim lied. "She's been living in a foster home."

"Hm," Nancy continued as she found Kim's paycheck. She handed the paycheck to the young woman and said, "If there's anything you need, Kim, you can ask for it."

"Well," Kim smiled, "there is something you could do. Tell John that his video equipment is in my apartment bedroom." She reached for a notepad and scribbled the address onto it. "Here's the key," Kim said as she placed it into Nancy's hands.

Not long after, Alyssa had finished her fries, and the kitchen had packed them a couple hamburgers to go. Kimberly had bid goodbye to Nancy. She was used to saying goodbye to people all the time, but under the circumstances, leaving Arizona made Kim feel sick.

Soon Kimberly was riding the motorcycle heading west, with Alyssa hanging on around her waist. Kimberly's mind raced.

_What the hell am I doing? I don't even know where I'm going! I shouldn't have freaked out; I shouldn't have snapped. What the hell am I supposed to do now? The plan was to take her to the police and give them the tape. It was so simple!_ Kim scolded herself inwardly for her hasty actions. _Oh, God. I'm going to be a fugitive! They'll arrest me. I'll go to jail.._

A slight tugging at her shirt meant that Alyssa was tired of holding on. Kim glanced at her watch and realized that they'd been riding the bike for about an hour. _The poor kid_, Kim thought. _She must be exhausted._ Nodding to Alyssa, Kimberly pulled out onto the next exit ramp of the high way and parked at the nearest motel.

Without thinking, Kim got off the motorcycle, took the helmet off of Alyssa, pulled the girl into her arms, and carried her into the main office of the motel. _I can't believe how small Alyssa is, especially for nine years old… It's so easy to carry her._ A man with a scruffy beard appeared behind the desk at the sound of their entrance.

"Hi," Kim called with Alyssa still in her arms. "A room, please."

"Evening, Ma'am," the man greeted kindly. "One bed or two?"

"We'll fit in one bed, thanks," Kim replied in the same manner putting a drowsy Alyssa down on a nearby chair. "Credit, please," Kim said as she handed the man a credit card. He took it, and soon they had a room.

"Can I help you with your bags?" the man offered.

-

It was eleven o'clock according her watch. Kimberly sat silently at a table in the hotel room while Alyssa lay fast asleep in the bed. On the table before her lay the tape. She sighed as she pondered what to write on the pad of paper that lay in front of her. She was planning on sending Alyssa to Jason's parents. After all, for the brief month or so that her parents were in jail on abuse charges, she'd lived with them until her mother was let out.

_It's the safest place to go_, Kim knew. And since Jason's dad was a cop, he'd have the hard evidence right in his hands. She placed her hand on the cell phone holster that Jason had purchased for her, considering giving Jason a late-night phone call. _No_, she thought. _I can't drag him into this. He'll be an accomplice… An accomplice to kidnapping…_

Kimberly finally managed to muster up a note that satisfied what she wanted to say. She slowly placed the tape and the note inside a delivery envelope and sealed it.

Alyssa stirred at the sound of Kim's rustling, and was soon wide awake. She rubbed her eyes and her sore face as she watched Kimberly stuff something into a bag. Kimberly smiled fondly at Alyssa and walked over to the side of the bed and sat down next to her young companion.

"Hi, sweetie," Kim said softly. "Why don't you go back to sleep."

Alyssa thought for a moment, and looked up at Kim. She hadn't said anything all night, and this worried Kimberly. Finally, three distinct words escaped the child's lips boldly, "Is he dead?"

Kim looked Alyssa in the eyes and said, "No. He was just unconscious."

"Is he going to come after us?" Alyssa asked softly.

"I don't know, kiddo," Kim answered honestly. "But if he does, he can't hurt you."

"You can't be sure of that," Alyssa said unconvinced.

"Yes, I can." Kim gave the younger girl a serious look. Alyssa turned away and became silent. "Alyssa…" Kim tried.

"You know," Alyssa whispered, tears appearing in her brown eyes, "that he hits me. How did you know?"

"I…" Kim began, "knew someone once who was in the same situation. I just did what had to be done, okay?" Kim searched Alyssa's eyes for a response, but only received a sad glare. Kim realized what Alyssa was thinking and said knowingly, "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Alyssa." Alyssa looked away as a tear escaped. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." Alyssa thought for a moment. She intertwined her fingers and let her mind slip away from the abuse. "What's going to happen to me?"

"Well," Kim explained, "I'm going to take you to a family. I know them. They took care of me when I was thirteen. They're good people."

Alyssa cried out in horror. "But I don't want to go with anyone but you! I don't!"

"Calm down," Kim soothed as she pulled Alyssa into a hug. "I'm sorry, Alyssa. But I can't take care of you."

"Why not?" Alyssa begged. "I'll be good, and I promise I'll stay out of the way. I can be quiet, real quiet!" Alyssa collapsed into sobs and Kim climbed under the covers and held the girl in her arms. After a half-hour of heart-wrenching sobs, Alyssa was fast asleep next to Kim.

Kim was torn. She knew she didn't have the resources to take care of a kid. She had three thousand dollars saved up under the name of Kimberly Harper, but it wouldn't be enough. Children needed clothing, food, moral support, structure, etc. Kim wasn't sure she could supply half of it. She would have to work twice as much to feed two mouths.

On the other hand, Alyssa had apparently no trust for anyone… but Kim. And Kim found herself alarmingly attached to the girl. And what if this was something she was supposed to do? Like being a Power Ranger. After all, it'd been her responsibility on a daily basis to help and protect people. She couldn't just dump Alyssa off at the Scott residence and disappear forever. Perhaps she could do something right.

But if Jason ever found out… _No_, Kim decided_, Jason can't ever find out. If Jason finds out, he'll freak. What if he ends up telling Tommy? _That sudden thought startled her. Why should it matter what Tommy thinks? _It doesn't. _

She glanced down at Alyssa's sleeping form and weighed her options, finally coming to a hard decision. _If anything goes wrong, I'm taking her straight to Jason's parents. Alyssa will be the number one priority. If she starts to go hungry, if she's unhappy at all… then I'll take her to the Scotts. Until then, I guess… I have a kid_

_- _

The next morning Alyssa sat eating the motel's continental breakfast at the small table, munching away. Kim hadn't the will to eat that morning. She was busily going through her things, and mentally making plans for the near future.

"All right, kid," Kim announced suddenly appearing from the clatter of her bag. "Here's how it's going to go."

Alyssa looked up momentarily from her cereal.

"As long as you're with me, you _must_ attend school." Alyssa's face lit up as Kim continued. "From now on, your name is Alyssa Harper. You're my younger sister. And our parents are dead."

Alyssa nodded eagerly. "So… I get to stay with you?"

Kim laughed. "Yes, but _only _as long as things go smoothly. If at any moment you feel unhappy or hungry or uncomfortable, you tell me. And I'll take you to my friends' house, okay?"

"Okay!" Alyssa cried and leapt into Kimberly's arms happily.

"C'mon, kiddo," Kim smiled fondly at the child in their embrace. "We need to buy you your own motorcycle helmet."

-

Not long after they'd checked out of the motel, they headed west once again. They'd traveled all morning and half of the afternoon. Kim didn't really know why she was heading in that direction. The idea was just to get as far away from Phoenix, Arizona as possible. She saw a sign in New Mexico tracking the miles to California at about three o'clock in the afternoon.

At a pit stop, Alyssa asked, "Where are we going?"

Kim thought a moment before answering. "To a place near where I call home," she smiled.


	2. Heaven Shines Down

Author's Notes: I couldn't quite get the page breaks right on the last chapter. Hopefully I'll get the chance to keep it right on this one. BTW, this story doesn't really have much to do with my other one… just that I used similar names and original characters.

**Heaven Peeks Down**

Kimberly Harper soon realized that raising a child was much harder than she'd originally expected it to be. Alyssa needed constant attention, which Kim was more than willing to give, especially considering the circumstances. Luckily though, Alyssa had been enrolled in a school in a town near the outside of the ever-famous Angel Grove. This left Kim approximately seven hours every weekday to be by herself… well, not really.

Every weekday morning at 7:30, Kim dropped Alyssa off at Hillside Elementary and headed to work at a cozy little Bar and Restaurant called Phil's Palace. The people at Phil's palace were especially sweet and related to Kim on many levels; plenty of her coworkers were single parents earning extra cash. At three o'clock, Kim would use her break to pick Alyssa up after school and take her back to the restaurant. After all, there wasn't enough money to hire a babysitter, and Alyssa never complained. She'd sit in the corner of the bar at the counter doing homework, chatting up a storm with the bartender, and eating an early dinner )which was free, thanks to Phil's soft spot for his waitresses). Kim, if time and business allowed it, would occasionally glance in on Alyssa or help with homework. And usually between 5:30 to 6:00pm, Kim clocked out and the dynamic duo headed home for the night.

Home for Kim and Alyssa was a comfortably sized room with furnishings, a stove and a small fridge included. There were two beds, a regular twin size and a cot opposite each other in the room. A wooden desk below the window was the center of attention. On the other side of the room next to the entrance was a little square table with two chairs to accompany it. And off to the corner near Alyssa's cot were a closet and a small bathroom. The room was small, but cozy enough for two people who didn't mind each other's constant presence. Besides, the rent was a good deal, and Kim was beginning to save enough money for a down payment of an apartment.

On the weekends, Kim worked a second job at a music store from 10am to 4pm. Alyssa tagged along with books, homework, a drawing pad, or anything to keep her busy. But she never really had a problem keeping busy; Alyssa loved the music store. She loved the piano especially, and was always willing to listen to Kim's coworkers if they picked up an instrument. The moment Alyssa learned that Kim used to play the guitar, she begged and begged until Kim finally gave in. But that was only once, and Kim never played again after that moment despite the enthusiastic praise from her coworkers. At four o'clock on Saturdays Kim and Alyssa headed home, or the park, the beach or the library (anything that didn't cost much but was fun anyway). On Sundays after the music store, Kim took Alyssa to a public gym where Kim lifted weights and taught Alyssa the importance of staying fit.

Being at the gym made Alyssa question Kimberly's roundhouse kick on the night they'd run away. Alyssa was relentless and fascinated by Kimberly's swift movements that night. Kim was reluctant at first, but soon she was teaching Alyssa simple self-defense moves. But in all their trips to the gym, Kim stayed as far away from the gymnastics equipment as possible to avoid anyone recognizing her and especially to keep Alyssa from finding out the truth.

On days when Alyssa was sick, Kim took off work as long as it took for Alyssa to get better. But on days when it was Kim that was sick, work was just simply not an option. It was the same situation with food; Kim never let Alyssa go hungry, even if it meant skipping a meal or two herself. But thankfully, this problem never occurred more than twice. And if there was ever a time they needed it, a next door elderly lady who liked to be called Anna always offered to baby-sit Alyssa for free.

And this was how life was from early November to late January. For Alyssa, life was a great improvement at Hillside Valley, California. She'd experienced her first real Christmas with real presents and never once felt under appreciated. For Kim, life was harder, but she was feeling more complete after years alone (much to her own surprise). _After all_, she thought, _I could do without the constant travelling. It's nice to settle down for a bit_.

But as wonderful as things seemed to be going, Kim knew their paradise could not last forever. But she had a backup plan, as always. She made sure that both she and Alyssa had emergency bags, which contained food, clothing, wads of money, etc. Inside Kim's bag was the tape she'd made hidden inside the envelope. The only new thing about the envelope was the Scotts' permanent address printed neatly in front and a little "K.H." scribbled in the return address area. Alyssa, however, knew nothing of the tape. But if anything were to happen, as Kim instructed the girl, Alyssa was to grab both emergency bags and head to the police station. Kim even made Alyssa memorize the address and directions to the police station.

In the few months they spent living together in Hillside Valley, there was only one particularly alarming moment when Alyssa had picked up Kim's cell phone when Jason called. Kim convinced Jason that Alyssa was a neighbor after snatching the phone out of the child's hands. After the call, Kim laughed as she glimpsed at a guilty looking Alyssa and assured the girl that she'd done absolutely nothing wrong. Needless to say, Alyssa never answered the phone again unless Kim said it was ok.

One night Kimberly and Alyssa were lying in their own beds. Kim lay reading a new novel quietly as Alyssa was asleep – or so Kim thought until Alyssa spoke up.

"Kim?" Alyssa whispered, breaking the peaceful silence.

"Yes?" Kim replied, setting her book down and glancing at her roommate.

"You're name's not really Kim Harper, is it?" It was more of a statement than a question, really.

The question hung in the air momentarily. "No, kiddo, it's not," Kim supplied softly.

"Then… what's your real name?"

Kim leaned over her bed and turned off the lamp before answering, "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Go back to sleep."

For a moment Kim believed Alyssa had given up until her soft voice broke the silence once again. "I… found some pictures."

Kim sat up alarmed and glanced over at Alyssa's still form in the dark. _Had she seen newspaper clippings of the Pan Globals at school? Internet, perhaps?_

"They were in your bag," Alyssa continued. "They fell out while you were in the shower."

"Oh," Kim relaxed, lying back down in her bed. This wouldn't be so bad to handle. "Which ones did you see?"

"I saw three." Alyssa relaxed as well, knowing she wasn't in trouble. "There was one of a family with kids kinda older than me, and another one was of a group of kids. High school, I think. There were six of them; you're one of them." Alyssa paused. "And the last one was of you and a guy. I think you're also one of the little kids in the first picture too…" She trailed off briefly. "Who are they?"

Kim smiled sadly at the old memories brought up by Alyssa. She flipped the light back on, finally deciding to share a bit of her past with someone. She dug into her bag and brought the pictures over to Alyssa.

"You're right," Kim began. "That _is_ me in those pictures." She pulled out a picture of her short live with the Scotts. It was taken during a picnic. Kim stared at a thirteen-year-old version of herself. "That right there is me at thirteen. I was a little small for my age." Her eyes then wandered to the dark-haired boy next to her. "That's Jason. He's kind of like my big brother. Next to him is my real brother Robert and Jason's little brother Lee." After Alyssa nodded in response, Kim's eyes lingered on the two adults. "Those are Jason and Lee's parents," Kim finished.

"That's… the family you wanted me to stay with?"

Kim smiled at Alyssa's perceptiveness. "Yep. They're the Scotts."

Alyssa nodded silently. "What about the second picture?"

Kim pulled out the second picture and sighed. This photograph was taken by Ernie at the Juice Bar. The six teenagers were dressed accordingly to their 'extra-curricular activity'. "Let's see," Kim started. "This was taken I think my sophomore year of high school. That's Trini, Billy, Zack, Tommy, me and Jason." As Kim gazed wonderingly at the picture, it wasn't the first time she'd wished she'd kept a picture of Rocky, Adam and Aisha… even Kat.

"Wait," Alyssa interrupted Kim's thoughts. "Is that the same Jason in the other picture?"

"Yes," Kim smiled. "That's him."

"And is he the same Jason that calls your cell every week?"

"Yeah," Kim replied.

"He… doesn't know about me, does he?"

"No, he doesn't," Kim sighed wishing he did.

"Well, why not? I mean, you guys are good friends right? Why doesn't he know? And why doesn't he ever come to visit?"

Alyssa's questions had been purely innocent but they, rather surprisingly, brought mist to Kim's eyes. "It's not that I wouldn't want you two to meet, Alyssa. But you have to understand that what I did by taking you was completely illegal."

"What do you mean?" Alyssa asked. "I'm happier now that I'm with you instead of Dad. It can't be illegal to make someone happy."

"I know, sweetheart," Kim smiled sadly. "But that's kinda how the world works." In Kim's hands she held the last picture… one that she hadn't looked at in a while and wondered why she'd kept it.

"What about the last picture?"

"That's me and my high school sweetheart, Tommy. He's the same guy from the previous picture."

"Wow," Alyssa exclaimed, carefully observing the obvious affection between the two. "He looks nice," she added as a comment.

Kim flinched at the word 'nice' and pondered for a few moments longer. "Yeah," she finally replied dryly.

"Where is he now?"

Kim laughed at her companion's undying curiosity. Or maybe she laughed to hide her own shame for not keeping in contact with him. In any case, it didn't matter. "It's time to sleep, kiddo," Kim said as Alyssa gave an obvious whine of I-don't-wanna. "You've got school tomorrow."

nearby

Tommy was living the nightmare that parents had for their children when he took the year off from the University of California. It was to "clear his mind" as he put it, and to put things in perspective. But his parents complied, knowing he'd been going through a rough time in the last few years, and they even supplied him with travel money. He'd done a little bit of travelling by late January and was relatively happy, but his mind still seemed to be suffering from the power withdrawal. At least, this was the reasoning he came to when he told Jason that he constantly felt incomplete. Jason, on the other hand, offered Tommy a completely different explanation to his incompleteness – a petite brunette explanation. Tommy had shrugged it off, or pretended to in Jason's eyes.

He mostly stayed in California; it was his favorite state. After moving to SoCal in his high school years, he'd fallen in love with everything about the place – the sports, the weather, the girl… He spent most of his time near the oceans. They were a different view than what he had when he was younger on the East Coast of America. It was, ironically enough, calmer despite the constant attacks they used to have from space aliens.

He liked spending his vacation time alone, except for his month-long visit to Jason. After telling Jason a little bit about his adventures alone, Jason had muttered under his breath something about Tommy reminding him of someone. When questioned, Jason pretended not to know what Tommy was talking about.

It was late January on a Sunday when Tommy arrived to a small town called Hillside Valley, very near to where his hometown Angel Grove lay. He'd checked into his motel and took a walk on the beach. Before heading back to the motel, he felt a little rumbling in his stomach.

He'd not long ago passed a restaurant called Phil's Palace, and promptly turned his car around. It wasn't his usual choice, but something drew him to the place. He got out of his jeep and wandered inside, instinctively taking a seat in the cozy bar.

Immediately, the bartender noticed him and made his way over. "Hey, I'm Mark," the bartender greeted. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Yeah, a Miller, please," Tommy said. "And can you get a waitress in here? I'm a little hungry too."

"No problem, bud."

Soon enough a middle aged woman with a toothy smile tapped him on the shoulder. Within fifteen minutes his food was ready. He was well into his food when he noticed a colorful board across from him on the other side of the bar. _Pictures_, he thought to himself. _It's a very homey touch. Makes the place seem more friendly_.

But soon as he continued to let his eyes wander on the pictures tacked to the board, his eyes lingered on a particular photograph – a brunette petite angel with a smiling face. He stared at the picture for a long while, not noticing the dripping of ketchup onto his pants.

_It couldn't be…_ he thought as he stared. _Could it?_

"Excuse me," he called in a panicked tone to the bartender. Mark made his way over quickly.

"Something else to drink, sir?"

"Um, no," Tommy stammered. "Could I see that picture real quick? Of the girl with brown hair just below the guy in the hat." Tommy pointed until Mark took down the correct picture and handed it to him.

"She's pretty, ain't she?" Mark smiled. "You know her?"

"Yes…" Tommy asked after an uncomfortable silence. "I believe I do.

"Hey, Martha!" Mark called to Tommy's waitress. "This guy here knows Kim."

She made her way over smiling. "Well, isn't it a small world?"

"Yeah," Tommy replied, still stunned. "She works here?"

"Yes," Martha replied. "She's the sweetest thing you'd ever meet. She works every weekday until 5:30pm."

"Today's Sunday," Tommy thought aloud. "So she'll be here tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," Martha replied eagerly. "You should come see her. I've never seen that poor woman ever on a date. She's single, you know." Martha began elbowing Tommy until he blushed. "Do you want me to let her know you were here?"

"Uh, no," Tommy grinned still blushing. "I'll drop by again tomorrow. Just don't tell her."

After Tommy paid and went back to the motel, he found himself lying down on his bed thinking. Why had this discovery of Kim have him acting completely like a fool. He hadn't seen her in ages… _Five years_, he thought. _Five long years._ But he was over Kim, wasn't he? He'd be a fool not to be. It wasn't right to be clinging to a high school fling. Then again, what they had wasn't a fling. Or so he thought until Kim sent him a heart-breaking letter.

But thinking of Kim made his heart ache… and glow. He'd never felt so confused about his emotions in his life. Kim was back home – at least very close to home. Jason was upstate and had no idea. If he did have any idea, Jason never gave away any clues. Knowing they were in the same town gave him jitters. He didn't want to see her. He didn't want to see her boyfriend picking her up after work… _But then again, that waitress Martha said Kim was single._

Anyway, what in the hell was Kimberly doing back in California. The last he'd heard about her was… the Pan Globals. That truly was the last time he'd heard of her. He fought to think if he ever heard her name announced in any other competitions, but was completely sure she'd never heard her name on the news after that. She'd disappeared. Tommy suspected that Jason had kept in touch with her, but Jason never left any room for him to confirm his suspicions. The fact was that Kim was home, or at least very close. That's all that mattered at the moment. He used to dream of living with her in Angel Grove, coming home to her every night. He found himself sighing happily at the thought.

He shook his head violently and went over to the bathroom sink. _I shouldn't be thinking thoughts like that. What we had is over…. Kim made that pretty clear. _He didn't quite understand why this girl still drove him crazy. But he did know he'd never be able to rest until he found out why. He decided to visit her near the end of her shift so that she'd have to be able to at least take a walk with him or something.

_Just talk to her_, he concluded quietly. _You need closure, Tom… Talk to her tomorrow_.

monday

The next day at 4:25pm, Tommy nervously rubbed his stomach before he entered the restaurant. It was relatively busy for a Monday, he'd noticed. He nodded to the hostess and led his own way towards the bar. He chuckled as he caught sight of a young girl sitting in the corner of the counter. _What an odd place for a little girl_, he thought. He smiled to her and sat down next to her.

"Hi," the child greeted him. "First time here?"

"Uh, no," Tommy replied smiling. Children always had a way of making him feel comfortable. He liked them, and they liked him. "I came here once before."

"Hey, there," Mark appeared, instantly recognizing Tommy. "I assume you want to order some food… from a certain waitress?"

"Uh," Tommy became nervous again. "Yeah, I kinda do."

"She's here, bud," Mark assured him. He then noticed Tommy's nervousness. "You want a drink?"

"Oh, yeah," Tommy exclaimed rubbing his stomach once again. "I think I'm gonna need it."

As Mark grabbed Tommy a drink, Alyssa continuously stared at Tommy, trying to remember where she'd seen him before. He looked really familiar. Tommy noticed her unbreakable stare and turned to her.

She shook her head and said, "I'm Alyssa. Alyssa Harper."

"I'm Tom," Tommy replied. "Thomas Oliver."

They shook hands. As Mark brought Tommy's drink to him, he noticed that Tommy was sitting next to Alyssa. "Interesting choice of seating," he remarked with an amused smile. Tommy raised his eyebrows at the comment.

"I'm ready for dinner, Mark," Alyssa stated plainly.

"No problem, kid," Mark replied kindly to her.

Before Tommy could say anything, however, Mark had called Kim's name. "Kim, two customers in the bar! A scrawny kid and a handsome devil!"

Tommy barely heard Alyssa's voice call out, "Hey!" next to him as he awaited Kim's arrival. For a moment he began to question himself again. Could he really go through with this? Could he manage the stress it would take to see her all over again?

He didn't have the chance to answer himself, because before he knew it Kim had appeared opposite Alyssa on the other side of the bar. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and her apron hung a little large on her. She was incredibly skinner than he'd remembered her to be, he realized. But she was still an angel – his angel.

"What's for dinner tonight, Al?" Kim had asked patiently to Tommy's new little friend without looking up from her waitressing ticket. Tommy's heart jumped as he realized that she hadn't noticed him yet.

"Um…" Alyssa thought out loud. "I want a steak."

"That's fine, sweetheart," Kim nodded writing Alyssa's order on the ticket and still not looking up. "But you have to have a salad with it. And don't argue with me."

Alyssa was ready for an argument until Tommy interrupted her.

"Um," Tommy cleared his throat. "I'll have the same thing." Surprising himself, he noticed that he didn't stammer… He'd spoken clearly and boldly, as though he was the most confident man in the world.

Kim's body stiffened at the sound of that familiar voice. _It couldn't be, could it? _her mind screamed. But it was. Because when she looked up her face went white. She didn't notice her ticket fall lifelessly to the ground. She reached her hand out to steady herself so she wouldn't fall. She just stared for a moment, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly as she tried desperately to swallow her anxiety.

"Okay," was all Kim managed to get out of her mouth before she bent down to pick up the ticket raced out of the bar an into the waitress's station. In the station, she'd had her head between her knees in an effort not to pass out when Martha came in. "Oh, my goodness!" she'd exclaimed as she rushed to Kim's side.

"I'm fine," Kim muttered. "I just need to catch my breath."

"Well you must have it badly for him if he has this affect on you, Kim," Martha stated smiling. She'd witnessed the event.

Kim laughed dryly in response as a young blond waitress named Dana appeared to catch some gossip. "What's wrong?" Dana asked upon entrance.

"Kim's fallen head over heels for the stud muffin next to Alyssa in the bar," Martha loudly announced.

Dana squealed in delight. "Is it true! Jeez, Kim, I didn't even think you were into dating!"

"I'm not," Kim cut her off sharply, by now breathing somewhat normally. "I _used_ to date him."

"Ooh," Dana and Martha cooed together.

"Well, why not rekindle what you had?" Martha offered. "He seemed pretty interested in finding out about you yesterday."

"He came in yesterday!" Kim exclaimed. "And no one told me!"

"Well, he asked us not to!" Martha replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"C'mon, Kim," Dana pleaded. "Give a guy a chance! You need some romance in your life. You're too… busy all the time. You never have any real fun. Besides, Alyssa could use some male influence in her life."

"Oh, God," Kim muttered.

"What?" Martha and Dana asked in unison.

"Alyssa…"

meanwhile

True to Kimberly's expectations, Alyssa would in no time tell Tommy all about her 'sister.'

"That was weird," Alyssa commented in response to Kim's reaction at Tommy.

"Yeah," was all Tommy could muster. He rubbed his face in guilt over what he'd just put Kim through. _Here I am worried about what I'd do if I ever saw Kim again, and I never once thought to think if she wanted to see me. At least I was a little prepared… I didn't even give her a warning._

"That's my sister Kim," Alyssa stated proudly, bringing her head up high.

This statement startled Tommy. He pulled his face out of his hands and said, "What?"

"My sister, Kim Harper," Alyssa continued. "She's the waitress, and a darn good one at that!"

"Really." Tommy was appalled. Firstly, the last time he'd checked, Kim's last name _wasn't_ Harper. And secondly, Kim didn't have a sister! She had a brother, who was seven years older than her. He knew he'd be invading Kim's space, but he couldn't help himself, especially since Alyssa seemed more than willing to tell a story. "Where are your parents?"

"They're dead," Alyssa stated nonchalantly. "Kim and I live together, and she takes care of me. She makes a good mom-type of person."

Tommy nodded waiting for her to continue, completely unable to respond to the obvious lie.

"Kim's the coolest! You'd like her. She's been teaching me martial arts and stuff, it's really cool."

"Oh, yeah?" Tommy finally spoke. "I know some martial arts."

"Really?" Alyssa asked, intrigued. "Are you any good? Because Kim can kick some serious butt!"

"I believe it," Tommy replied truthfully, sipping his drink.

Mark had come over by then. "That didn't go too well with Kim?" he asked Tommy, referring to Kim's response at the sight of her old boyfriend.

"No, it didn't," Tommy replied. "I think I may need another drink."

"Comin' right up, bud," Mark nodded empathetically.

"Wait," Alyssa furrowed her eyebrows. "Do you know Kim?"

"Yeah," Tommy smiled at her confusion. _At least I'm not the only one confused_, he thought. "I used to date her."

And in that moment, Alyssa went as white as Kim had. Except Alyssa was better at keeping her cool. She slowly regained her calm stature, thinking rapidly. She _knew_ where she'd seen Tom before. _He was her high school sweetheart_, Alyssa thought. She observed the man sitting next to her. His hair was definitely a lot shorter. And he looked like he aged out of his adolescent years. But it's definitely that guy from the picture. _Oh, man… Are we in trouble._

"I have to… go to the bathroom," she excused herself awkwardly, leaving Tommy by himself.

Alyssa hopped out of the stool and turned the corner over to the waitress's station where she found Kim fumbling over a mess of tickets. It was, after all, busy for a Monday.

In any other circumstances, a busy restaurant would be no problem for Kim. But as Alyssa observed, Kim was overloaded and overwhelmed. "Kim?" she called guiltily at her sister.

Kim merely glanced up and gave a small smile to the girl.

"He's you're old boyfriend, isn't he?" Alyssa asked innocently.

Kim felt like she was going to cry. She didn't know where all these emotions had come from. But they were there, and they were disrupting her work… not to mention her appearance to Alyssa. She honestly did not _ever_ think that Tommy could affect her like this. She was over him, wasn't she? Kim looked to Alyssa and nodded in response.

"I didn't realize until after…" Alyssa trailed off.

Kim sniffed knowing that Alyssa had given away their secret and said, "It's okay, sweetheart." She rubbed her eyes. "It's not your fault, I promise. Go on back, okay? I have a lot of stuff to do. Your food will be done in twenty minutes."

Before Alyssa did as she was told, she ran up to Kim, hugged the woman and placed a small kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks, kid," Kim smiled through her tears.

later

By the time Alyssa and Tommy's food was ready, Kimberly had regained her composure – somewhat. With the support of Martha and Dana, she'd gathered her courage to carry a tray of food. Her appearance had diminished. Her hair was wet from washing her face in the bathroom repeatedly to get rid of the anxiousness, and her cheeks were puffy from the few tears she shed. "Two steaks and two salads," Kim announced warily as she entered the bar.

She placed the food in front of her two hungry customers. "Yum!" Alyssa called out at the sight of her dinner.

Kim poked her young companion and said reflexively, "We're not leaving the restaurant until you finish at least three quarters of your salad."

Alyssa groaned and for a brief moment Kim forgot about Tommy in her parenting mode. But it was only a _very_ brief moment. She turned to him and bit her lip. "It's on the house, Tommy," she said softly.

"Are you sure, Kim?" Tommy asked guiltily, pretending not to notice her puffy eyes. "It doesn't feel right."

"Yeah," Kim nodded closing her eyes. "Don't worry, I talked to my manager. He's fine with it."

"Thanks," Tommy flashed a smile at her.

Kim nearly melted to the floor at his smile, scolding herself for feeling _anything_ towards Tommy. "No problem."

"Listen," Tommy began, rubbing the back of his head. "Can we go somewhere to talk after this? Maybe go for a walk on the beach or something?"

Alyssa's eyes lit up at the sound of the beach. To the younger girl's surprise, Kim said, "Yes, that sounds good. I haven't taken Alyssa to play on the beach in a while." Alyssa nearly squealed in delight at the interaction between the two. "I'll let you two eat in peace," Kim smiled.

It was Tommy's turn to melt. He couldn't believe it. She'd said yes. It wasn't as though they were going to go on a date, but something about taking a walk with her on the beach seemed very inviting. He smiled at Alyssa, who smiled back. He caught a glimpse of Mark giving him an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Although still nervous, he happily devoured his salad and steak in anticipation for what lay ahead that evening.


	3. As Evil Sparks Among Us

Author's notes: Okay, I'm still having a bit of trouble trying to master the page breaks… especially since I found that I need to do it manually by html (something about word documents won't let me do it automatically anymore). Well, I'm pretty familiar with html lingo… but gosh darn… it takes so long to put it inside my chapters… other than that, thanks for reviewing.

This chapter's a lot messier, but I tried. What can I say?

**-As Evil sparks among Us-**

Space is a cold place. "That's probably why most everything that comes down from it has a cold heart," reasoned a young brunette woman during her teen years. While the statement wasn't entirely accurate, she pretty much caught the gist of it.

Almost every being that came down from the unknown sea of stars carried an ambition for absolute rule… especially for earth. But why would such a seemingly harmless and useless planet attract so much attention? Even the ever-famous Power Rangers couldn't decipher the solution. But unknown to all creatures on this small planet except the birds, there is a hidden power that lies within the core of the earth. It is what supplies earth its abundance of life. Rarely is it seen that so much life exists on one planet. To have this power means greatness. Perhaps the reason the power was placed in the core of earth was because its creatures were so ignorant that they could _never_ abuse its power.

On one of Jupiter's larger moons is a hidden cave. Inside remain two powerful dormant beings. All creatures they pass cower in fear. For years, they'd been in hiding, making the universe believe they'd long died. The truth was quite the opposite, in fact. They were alive and well, and prosecuting a long-term plan for the domination of earth.

"_Master," _whispered one of the creatures, who stood slender and six feet tall. All of his other features were hidden beneath a dark velvet cloak. _"The seed, Master.."_

"_Yes, Sonair,"_ replied the taller of the two. He was dressed similarly in a cloak of black, and towered half a foot over his apprentice. _"The seed will soon grow."_

"_But why," _Sonair hissed, _"hasn't it begun yet? The boy has triggered the seed by re-entering Kilyah's life."_ He paced anxiously in his spot. _"It's been five years!"_

"_Be patient," _Sonair's master commanded. _"Remember, the seed is a spell. It has never left her; it's just remained dormant over the years. The longer we wait, the easier the seed will grow. And the more the fates align with us on our quest."_

"_Yes, I know… but shouldn't it have started at the moment she recognized the boy?"_

"_This is true," _the Master pondered, bringing an exposed claw to his chin. _"But its time will come. Something is blocking the seed from growing, but only temporarily."_

"_I believe in your magic, Master," _Sonair bowed. _"I know it will work. All my faith lies in your hands. But forgive me, sir… It's been so long since we've left the moon. I grow impatient."_

"_Control yourself," _the older figure waved a hand at him. _"Our time is soon, very soon." _He walked over to edge of the cave. _"The seed we've planted in Kilyah will grow. Five years is a long time. That is long enough for the seed to bury itself far within Kilyah so she doesn't even know it exists. She is the key to our plan. She will bring down the infamous defenders of earth, and nothing can stop us."_

"_Yes, Master."_

ON EARTH…

He still couldn't believe it. Yet, here she was, right in front of him. And they were about to hit the beach. The only difference was that there would be a little kid tagging along with them. But he didn't mind at all; Kimberly was here, which seemed to satisfy a part of him that he didn't know he needed.

"Clocked out?" Alyssa chimed eagerly at her 'older sister' as she anxiously awaited their departure for the beach.

"Yeah," Kim smiled nervously as she pulled her hair back into a tighter ponytail and grabbed her bags. She threw a glance at Martha, Dana and Mark who were standing behind the counter, giving her encouraging smiles. She tried to return the gesture, but failed miserably, then turned to Tommy briefly. "Ready?"

Tommy inadvertently blushed momentarily as he caught himself staring at her and ran a hand through his short mahogany hair. "Yes. Uh, should one of us follow the other, or should we ride together?"

"Well," Kim began, "I'd let you ride with us, but we only have two helmets."

At Tommy's blank stare and Alyssa's mischievous giggle, Kim led the two out into the parking lot and to a two-wheeled vehicle. Tommy watched as Kim handed a little pink helmet to Alyssa, and fit the black one snuggly on her own head. Kim waved to him to follow her.

"A motorcycle?" Tommy gaped to himself as his ex-girlfriend and her little companion mounted the bike. After a moment, he laughed to himself and shook his head. He hopped into his own car and proceeded to follow the duo to the beach.

Inside his vehicle, questions continued to pile inside of Tommy's head as he kept up with Kimberly's bike. His emotions were fighting each other for the top spot. Was he feeling angry? Was he happy? He knew he was relieved knowing she was alive and well. But he was mostly confused. Who the hell is Kimberly Harper, and why was Kim pretending to be her? To Tommy, it seemed very possible that Kimberly and Alyssa could actually be biological sisters, especially with their similar shade of hair and petite figures. Not to mention, Alyssa seemed to have a spark inside her that Kim… _used_ to have. And although he was confused, hurt and perhaps angry with Kim, he was still worried. Something here wasn't right.

But he couldn't help smiling as he watched the two ahead of him. Alyssa's pink helmet reminded him of Kimberly's old Ranger outfit. Tommy pulled in to the beach's parking lot and parked next to Kim's bike. He hopped out in time before Alyssa ran to him and explained rather enthusiastically, "All the kids at school are jealous, because I get to ride Kim's motorcycle every day and wear a cool helmet."

Tommy laughed as Kim sent Alyssa a warning glare. "Don't brag, kid," Kim said as she swatted playfully at Alyssa's head. "Go play." In return, Alyssa ducked swiftly and made a sprint for the beach.

"Come on," Tommy said, smiling momentarily at Kim and Alyssa's playful nature. He and Kim walked side by side after Alyssa, slowly and quietly… and anxiously.

The silence was unnerving as they walked along the shoreline, keeping an eye on the child who waded in the waters ahead of them. In Kimberly's nervous state, she kept her eyes on Alyssa solely to avoid eye contact with Tommy. She felt his eyes slowly wander to her. _What am I doing here?_ she thought. She still hadn't quite fully recovered from the shock of seeing Tommy at the restaurant. It wasn't until Tommy spoke up that she forced herself to tear her gaze away from Alyssa and to the man who stood before her now. She stopped in her tracks and looked up.

"Kim?" Tommy said softly, forcing her to look back at him. He knew what he was seeing in her eyes: fear. _She_ was afraid of _him_. And it was more than he could bear.

"Listen, Tommy," Kim started shakily, not comprehending why Tommy had this affect on her. She assumed he'd had numerous questions, and she wanted to quell them gently before he grew angry with her. "I…"

Tommy held his hand up to silence her. "First things, first, Kim." And to her surprise he pulled her into a warm hug.

In his grip, she tensed momentarily but relaxed soon after and rested her head on him. However, she didn't return the hug. She just stood comfortably in his grip, feeling tears well up in her eyes. How long had it been since she'd had a hug quite like this? She hadn't even let Jason hug her when he found her in Georgia. Of course she hugged Alyssa all the time, but that was different. With _this_ kind of hug, _Kim_ was the one being protected. And the thought startled her out of his grip.

Tommy tried not to seem surprised when she pulled away from his arms. A moment ago, she seemed happy to be in his arms. But now, she refused to look at him. She continued to walk and watch Alyssa, who was now bending over by the shallow edge of the waves. Tommy swallowed his worry and hurt, and he jogged to catch up with her.

"Tommy," Kim began again as he caught up, "about the letter…"

"Not yet," Tommy said between clenched teeth. True, the letter had broken his heart in ways he didn't think anyone could understand. But he was by nature a good man, and he knew there was something bigger going on with Kimberly. His personal problems would have to wait.

Kim shut her mouth in guilt, understanding that she'd let him down in their younger years. She'd hurt him, but she accepted it. A tiny voice in the back of her mind kept telling her that Tommy deserved it, shushing the guilt she felt. She pushed it away as she kept her eyes on Alyssa.

"We'll talk about the letter in a minute," Tommy explained, watching her pained expression match his own. "First tell me," he said as he gently tugged her arm to make her stop walking. He stared intently into her eyes, unsure whether for curiosity or worry. "Who is Kimberly Harper?"

Kim sighed defeatedly, and perhaps a little relieved that she didn't have to touch base on the letter just yet. "_I_ am Kim Harper." She paused. "At least, I _became_ Kim Harper."

"Why?" Tommy's eyebrows furrowed. "I mean, _how_?"

"After the Pan Globals, I just… left. I didn't want to be Kim Hart anymore." She'd said it with such shame and self-hatred that Tommy felt bad for her. "Billy was always a genius at hacking," Kim continued. "He taught me everything I know about false paperwork. He doesn't know, but I owe all my skills to him." She chuckled. "It's a good thing he only uses his skills for good, and not evil."

Tommy didn't hear the joke. "But why didn't you just go to your Mom in Paris?"

"Tommy, you know that my Mom and I don't really know each other. I haven't spoken to her since she left for Paris. Besides, I don't think she really likes me the way she used to. She didn't even come to the Games." She grunted angrily. "_Nobody_ did."

Tommy bit his lip in guilt. After the letter, no one planned on going to the games to see her. He always assumed someone would. But now he knew he was wrong. He had watched the games by himself in his bedroom, not wanting anyone to bother him as he studied her rock-hard performance. She'd done well. He knew there was no use in telling her though. He reflected on Kim's relationship with her mother back in their high school years. It was practically nonexistent. He knew he'd asked a stupid question, but he couldn't take it back now.

Kim caught herself in an angry moment and brushed it away as she caught sight of Alyssa starting a sandcastle. "Well, anyway," she said getting off the subject. "I just didn't want to be me anymore, you know? My parents were by then long gone, and I didn't have any friends. So I left."

Tommy nodded, still not understanding completely. This meant she'd been missing for five years. _Five years_. It's a long time to be missing. He thought worriedly for a moment about all the things she'd missed. _Does she know about Trini?_ "Kim," Tommy said seriously. "You know about Trini?"

Kim flinched at the mention of her former friend. "Yeah," Kim said. "Jason told me about the accident. I knew beforehand though…" She trailed off, shrugging the hurt away. "I _felt_ it when it happened. It's hard to explain. Well, it doesn't matter now. It's all over anyway."

"I think we all felt it," Tommy said softly. But he didn't understand. Kimberly and Trini were close friends. And here was Kim, pretending she didn't even _care_ that Trini was dead. "Wait a minute," Tommy said raising his eyebrows. "Jason told you?"

"Yeah," Kim said sheepishly. "The guy won't leave me alone. He calls me once in a while to check up."

"That bastard," Tommy said jokingly. "I _knew_ he was up to something." He saw the tension leave Kim and smiled. But he knew he had to stay on task. His voice dropped low as he glanced at Alyssa playing in the sand. "What about Alyssa? I mean, how did she end up becoming your little sister?"

"Hm," Kim sighed nervously. "You wouldn't believe it."

"Try me," Tommy challenged.

"I kidnapped her," she said, plain and simply. Tommy's face was expressionless. "Well, not really. I'm not even quite sure how she ended up here with me, but I'm really glad she is."

"Wait," Tommy said, letting her words comprehend in his mind. "You _kidnapped _her?"

Kim rubbed her arms nervously and explained. "I caught her biological father physically abusing her. I don't know what came over me. I just… took her and left. I can't explain why I did it. I just know I did, and I don't regret it."

"Why didn't you just take her to the police?" Tommy's face was incredulous.

"Yeah, that was the original plan," Kim laughed, as Tommy's mind raced about all the legal trouble Kim would be in if she got caught. "But for some reason, she's here with me." Something very sudden shot through Kim and she glared at Tommy with brown eyes that flashed a darker shade. "You _can't_ tell anyone," Kim stated darkly. "Not even Jason."

Tommy stared back at her, almost fearful of her mood change. Slowly, realization hit him. "Jason doesn't know… about her…"

She shook her head furiously. "No one knows, Tommy. Jason can _never_ know. He doesn't even know where I _live_… just my cell number. You're the only one who caught me." All her words came out in a rush. After a pause she let her voice drop low and leered at Tommy from behind her serious brown eyes. "But if you tell _anyone_, I swear to God, Tommy, I will _kill_ you."

The last statement hit Tommy like a brick. He was one hundred percent sure that she was dead serious. "I won't, Kim," Tommy said seriously, meeting her glare. "I promise."

She examined him as if to detect if he was lying. Once she was sure of his word, she calmed down. "I didn't mean to be like that," she began, her eyes fluttering away from his sad gaze. She sat down and Tommy joined her. "We're just… me and Alyssa, we're happy with the way things are."

Tommy didn't know what to say. So he said nothing. He sifted the sand through his fingers to keep himself idle.

"When I took her in, I'd already become Kim Harper. I didn't want to give up my name. So I forged paperwork and birth certificates. I put her in school, gave her a warm place to sleep in, fed her. And she's happy, and that's all that mattered. It was surprisingly a lot easier for Alyssa to become my sister than it was for me to become a Harper."

Tommy didn't respond.

"I know things won't last forever," Kim continued sadly. "But I really want to keep her as long as I can. Please understand. Please don't tell anyone."

Tommy glanced up from the sand and looked at her. She looked scared again. He wasn't sure what to make of her sudden and extreme mood swings. But today he found out that he could never deny any request from Kim. "You can trust me, Kim," he said finally and truthfully.

Kim sighed in relief, and a small smile tugged at her lips. She and Tommy shared a small moment, and for the first time that day, Kim felt perfectly comfortable having him in her company. Tommy felt it too.

Before either of them could say anything more, Alyssa plopped herself right in between them, giggling with delight at the sparkle between them. "Are you coming over, Tom?" Alyssa asked her new friend while mounting a pile of sand between her legs.

"Uh…" Tommy stammered as he caught Kim's nervous expression at the corner of his eyes. "Not tonight, kiddo." Kim seemed relieved at his answer.

"Darn," Alyssa said disappointedly. "But you will sometime, right?"

"Eventually, yeah," Tommy smiled broadly at her.

"Come on, guys," Kim said getting up. "We need to get home. Alyssa's got school tomorrow."

There was a very distinct whine that from _both_ Alyssa and Tommy's lips. Kim rolled her eyes and laughed, truly enjoying the moment.

LATER…

Tommy followed the duo to their apartment building parking lot, at Kim's request. But Kim made no move to invite him into their one-room home. Instead, she said to Alyssa, "Go on up, sweetie. Give me ten or so minutes."

With a mischievous glint in her eyes, Alyssa nodded her head. "Are you two going to kiss?" she asked, letting the last word hang in the air.

Tommy turned away and blushed. Kim, however, sent a playfully warning glance at Alyssa.

"Okay, then…" Alyssa giggled. She extended a hand out to Tommy, who'd by then recovered from an embarrassed moment. "It was great meeting you, Tommy. You need to visit us lots. We never get visitors."

Tommy laughed, and looked to Kim for approval. When she nodded in agreement, Tommy replied, "Yeah, I think I will visit sometimes." He smiled and shook Alyssa's little hand.

"Bye!" she called as she sprinted for the door of the apartment building. Kim watched her until Alyssa made it into the building.

"You really look out for her," Tommy commented, watching Kim gaze protectively after the girl.

Kim pulled her gaze away from the building and turned to Tommy. "What do you mean?"

"The way you watch her intently," Tommy explained, "without intruding her personal space. From what I've seen of the two of you today, and of what you've told me, you're right: Alyssa's happy. You didn't just give her a place to sleep, you gave her a home."

Kim beamed for a moment, not knowing how to respond. "Thanks," she finally managed.

"You know I won't tell anyone," Tommy said, looking uncomfortable. "But what happens if you get caught?"

"I don't know," Kim said, her eyes dulling. "I guess I go to jail." She looked down and played with her fingers, trying not to ponder the possibilities. "But it's worth it," she finally added with a gentle smile forming on her lips.

Tommy's heart mourned for her situation. At the same time, he was extremely proud of her. "There's got to be a way…"

"No," Kim interrupted him. "Kidnapping is kidnapping."

"Why didn't you come to one of us? We'd have helped you." Tommy's eyes searched her desperately.

"And risk getting you guys in trouble?" Kim looked at him incredulously. "You guys would be accomplices, and you know I can't do that. If you were in the same situation, you'd have done the same."

Tommy nodded, understanding that she didn't want to discuss it any further. Whatever decisions she'd made, she'd already made them. There would be no possibility to change her mind. _She probably knew the sacrifices at the beginning_, Tommy thought. _But this is Kim, loyal to the end._

After a moment of shared silence, Tommy spoke up. "There's still a couple things I want to know," Tommy said.

Kim looked up, knowing where this was heading.

"What made Kimberly Hart want to disappear?" Tommy paused and let the question soak into her mind. Her expression changed from sad to hurt to angry and to sad again. Tommy watched the emotions pass over her face over and over again, until he realized she wasn't going to answer.

"Kim?" he said, tugging at her hand and begging her to respond. Her face finally settled with sad. "What made you leave us? What made you leave _me_?"

Something happened inside the woman before him. Tommy had to step back. Her eyes shifted to a darker shade, the same as it had when Kim threatened to kill him earlier if he told anyone about Alyssa. She shook her head vigorously and surprisingly angry. "If you don't know, then I can't tell you," she finally mustered.

Tommy looked extremely hurt. And at his expression, Kim's anger disappeared and turned to sadness and guilt. She didn't know what to do. Why was she feeling like this? Since Tommy arrived, her emotions had been on a roller coaster ride. One moment she loved being with him, the next she was nervous, and the next she found herself extremely angry or scared. The worst part was, she didn't know why.

"Well," Tommy said, once again breaking the deafening silence. "If you don't tell me, then I'll never be able to fix it if I've done something wrong."

Kim lowered her eyes and hung her head. She wasn't going to budge. She honestly didn't know _what _to tell the man that stood with her.

"It's the same reason you stopped talking to us," Tommy concluded. She didn't respond. He lowered his voice. "And the same reason why you sent me that letter." He looked at her sadly. _Have I really done something so bad that she can't tell me?_

Kim had by now shut her eyes tightly, refusing to let herself cry in front of Tommy.

"Here," Tommy whispered, pulling out a pen and a business card. "This is the hotel I'm staying at." Kim opened her eyes as he took her hand and placed it in her palm. She nodded. "Room 21A. When you're ready to talk, Kim, please come visit me. Call first, though. My cell number's on the card. If I happen to change hotel rooms or something, I'll visit the restaurant and let you know."

Kim peered into his eyes and nodded again. But she didn't speak a word. Nothing came to her lips; she felt mummified.

"I know this is awkward for us," Tommy said, running his hand through his hair. "But I want to at least be your friend. Please, just let me do that, okay?"

_He wants to be my friend_, Kim thought. _After I got angry with him. What if he really doesn't know why I cut them all out of my life?_ Her thoughts raced at a confusingly rapid rate. _But then again, what if he only pretends he doesn't know?_

When Kim didn't respond, Tommy looked away uncomfortably. And when she didn't expect it, he leaned in for a startling hug.

Kim wanted to fall into his arms and let him carry her away. But something in the back of her mind told her not to trust him. So why did it feel so safe in his arms? She just stood there leaning her head into his chest, letting her arms hang limply at her sides as he whispered into her ear, "I'm sorry if I did anything to hurt you or make you stay away. Please visit, please just _talk_ to me."

He pulled away, much to Kim's dismay. When he looked down at her, he found her eyes glazing with tears. "Just visit," he said again. "Or give me a call. I'll wait as long as you want, but please just visit me when you're ready."

Kim nodded numbly, and he bent down and kissed her forehead tenderly. She couldn't find the words she wanted to tell him; she didn't know _what_ she wanted to tell him. She closed her eyes for a moment. But when she opened them again, he was already on his way to the car. She stood there as he backed out and drove away from the parking lot, waving aimlessly.

THAT NIGHT

**_Drip… drip… drip_…**

_There it was again… that constant dripping pulling her closer and closer to insanity. If it wasn't the dripping, it was the dead of darkness that engulfed her, mentally and physically_. _She was trapped; she couldn't see, couldn't feel. She could only hear the dripping. Occasionally she heard the shuffling of movement, and was near 100 sure she could hear, **feel**, something laughing at her, mocking her situation, and dragging its claws of maliciousness across the wall to drive her mad. She'd huddle to herself on the floor against the cold, rock-like wall, humming the few sweet tunes she could just barely recall._

Drip… drip… drip… 

"_Shut up," she muttered towards the wretched and taunting sound. It was cold, unbelievably cold. She'd been supplied a rather pathetic substitute of a blanket. Whenever she awoke, there was fresh water in a rock-like bowl, but never food. Never, **ever**, food. The hunger tore through her petite body._

"_No matter what," she thought aloud to herself, "when I get home I'm eating a whole feast for ten… even if Schmidt catches me…" The thoughts went on; they were the only way she could maintain her calm. "When I get home…" "When they save me…" "When I'm found…" etc._

_Days past… or was it weeks? She couldn't tell; she didn't even want to know._

_**Drip… drip… drip…** followed by a mocking, deep chuckle in the distance._

_She nearly lost it._

"_When I get out," she screamed, "I'll **kill** the fucking source of the drip!" More days past, or so she assumed. It felt like an eternity in the darkness by herself. She talked to herself, to keep from jumping off the cliff of insanity. But her words eventually changed… No longer did she use the word, "when." Now it was, "They will **never** find me. Never save me… they couldn't."_

_Constantly, the thoughts drowned her conscious mind. Did they even know she was gone? Tommy'd called the day she'd been taken. She stared blankly into the darkness. Would he save her? Was he too busy? What if no one cared she was gone?_

_The thoughts continued to flood her senses like a plague. Days of questioning their loyalties led to despair. She stopped humming sweet tunes, merely resorting to hugging her knees and loathing the dripping amidst the blinding darkness. Muttering and crying angrily and constantly. She felt hurt. Soon it was no longer the pain of the darkness, coldness, hunger, or even fear… the only heart-wrenching pain that existed towards the end was **loneliness**, utter loneliness._

_In her mind, the thoughts evolved. ' They don't love you, something said to her. They don't care that you're gone. **He** doesn't miss you. Your parents have been gone for years, you're brother's in New York. There's no one left to bury you when you die… that's only if your remains will be found.'_

_Drowning in the darkness, more time passed. More dripping, and more cackling. Something snapped inside of her._

_The thoughts were too much; they overwhelmed her. On the last day, she'd lost it. She decided she'd go down with a fight. Abruptly after the sound of a distant laugh, she'd screamed at the top of her lungs. In her rage, she'd kicked the bowl of water with her bear feet and pounded on the wall, her nails bleeding from the harsh scratches against the stone… screaming… screaming… screaming…_

_Until she was pulled down by a massive force. She couldn't see who or what it was. She kicked at it, but something else restrained her legs. She kept screaming. She couldn't stop. She didn't care anymore what they did to her. For a long time, she thought her own screaming, the dripping, the laughter… that it would never **ever** stop._

Drip… drip… drip… 

Kim Harper shot up into a sitting position, her breathing labored, and sweat drowning her petite frame underneath her shirt. She wiped her face and shuddered intensely, taking in her surroundings.

Alyssa lay peacefully across the room in a deep slumber, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. She was a comforting sight for Kim to behold. The room was relatively dark, but the moonlight lit it with a tranquil glow.

Kim sighed and brought her hand to her head. It'd been years since she'd had that dream, let alone even _thought_ about the events of that distraughtful week. Up until this night, it'd been the farthest thing from her mind.

She glanced at the clock. It was five AM. Deciding she'd never get to sleep anymore that night, she went to take a quick shower to clean herself of sweat… and fear.

She shut the bathroom door quietly to ensure that Alyssa got a full night of rest, and then she slipped daintily out of her clothes.

In the shower, she practically begged the water to wash away her uneasiness. When it didn't she began to feel emotionally wary. What was it that triggered the dream to come back? _Stress_, she thought_, just stress_.

Five years ago, she'd woken up in a hospital room, the light blinding her, but the warmth soothing her. She'd been found, thank God, she'd been found. But _how_? According to her teammates, and her coach, she'd been missing for a week and turned up unconscious in an alley. Upon questioning, she denied remembering the gruesome, dark details of her captivity, to protect her super hero identity… and maybe herself. According to the doctor, there was no sign of rape or drug abuse, but several bruises and bumps.

But a _week_? Had it only been a week? At some moments, she'd been sure it was at least a month, even eternity. She supposed it was possible that her perception of time had been altered, especially if what'd happened to her involved something extraterrestrial. From her experience as a Ranger, she knew that time seemed to change in length depending on where she was in the universe. If this was the case, she'd better alert one of the team…

Right after she was released from the hospital, she called Tommy, who enthusiastically retold of his latest Ranger adventure of the week. He showed no sign of noticing she was even missing. Nothing hurt her more than that. But when her upset tone clued him in, he'd sounded worried. However, she didn't tell him anything. Instead, she'd lied that Coach needed her and hung up the phone. She came to the conclusion that no one even knew she was missing… she'd been right; the days she spent alone in the cave were in vain. She didn't care how she got out, but that she _was _out. Even if her experience did include something extraterrestrial, she chose not to say anything. It wasn't worth the trouble to her. And surprisingly, she didn't shed a tear. The next day she wrote him a letter. She didn't answer the phone when it rang… for weeks. She made it clear she wanted nothing to do with home.

The media never got hold of the story, and Kim was still baffled to the day on how it ever stayed a secret. But she was thankful to the efforts of her teammates, coaches, the police, and the hospital for the confidentiality. Perhaps, in the back of her mind, she knew that something else had played a role in the secrecy of her kidnapping.

She had returned to training for the Pan Global Games as though nothing had happened. But she'd_felt_ different somehow. She even carried herself differently. It was a noticeable change in her gymnastics routines, and her coach sent her to a psychiatrist to make sure she was mentally stable for competition. And she was. But she'd found out later that she would _always_ feel different.

Kim shut her eyes as the water washed over her face. She knew it was going to be another long day.

LATER

"Hmm," Alyssa Harper pondered quietly to herself as she sat before a computer at Hillside Elementary's media lab. Her class had recently been working on an events research project. Alyssa had chosen the Olympics. In all honestly, she didn't know where to start. All she knew was that the Olympics were a huge deal. Her teacher suggested listing off the different kinds of events and sports that participated in the Olympics as a start.

And that's how she found it.

She was clumsily wandering around on an Olympics page with a list of sports. She'd meant to click on greyhound racing, but her finger slipped and she ended up on a page about gymnastics. She didn't particularly care at the moment. So she briefly skimmed the title list of articles until she found something that caught her eye.

"Olympic Hopeful Kimberly Hart refuses to participate in Olympic Trials…" Thinking nothing of the similar first name with her older sister, she'd casually clicked on the url link.

And now Alyssa Harper sat in awe before the computer, where a beautiful picture of Kimberly Harper posed gracefully on a balance beam in place of an elusive Kimberly Hart.

But Alyssa promptly kept her cool and casually printed the article along with her other web resources. And when Kim "Harper" picked her up from school later that day, Alyssa didn't mention a word about her new discovery.

FAR AWAY…

Sonair stood at the edge of the cave, breathing heavily. Through his meditation he was able to calm himself down from the anxiousness of a five-year wait. He felt repulsive at the thought of how long they'd spent hiding. But he believed in his master, and trusted him with his life. He'd have waited an eternity for his Master.

A soft shuffle alerted the presence of another creature. But Sonair did not move. He knew his master had felt the energy of Kilyah as well.

"_Master, it has started,"_ Sonair almost gleefully announced the obvious, breaking the still of the darkness.

Tapping his long talons together, the master sighed as though in relief, and replied in a low grumble, _"So it has." _His voice seemed to gloat. _"Kilyah will soon discover herself. Not to worry, Sonair, all is going well."_

Sonair could hardly wait.

THAT NIGHT

Jason sat numbly, silently fiddling with the phone cord as his childhood friend vented about the stresses of her day. But he had a suspicion that something other than needy customers was bothering her.

"You never used to let customers get to you before," Jason pointed out when Kim finally stopped talking to take a breath. "In fact, you said once that you absolutely loved a challenge."

"Yeah, I know," Kim sighed defeatedly. "I think it's just built up stress." She pulled a put a hand on her forehead as she switched her cell phone to the other ear.

"All right," Jason replied, knowing when not to ask questions. He thought for a moment. After a notable silence, he shifted to another topic. "Have you decided about the wedding yet?"

"Um," Kim started as she glanced at Alyssa who was working diligently on her latest school project. "It doesn't look good, Jase." At least she was being honest. Besides, she couldn't just show up at a wedding with Alyssa out of the blue. And there was no way that Kim would leave Alyssa even for a day.

"Well, you're not allowed to say no yet, remember?" Jason said joyfully, determined to change her mind. Kim's silence meant that she didn't want to argue. Jason took the hint and made another shift in the topic of conversation. He continued slowly and cautiously. "Well, I've been thinking of paying Tommy a visit."

On Kim's side of the line, her heart jumped at the mention of his name. "Oh?" she finally managed as casually as possible.

"Yeah, he's staying in a town called Hillside. It's near Angel Grove. For some reason, he wants to stay there for a while. So I thought I'd pay him a visit."

Kim bit her tongue. Her heart raced. Did Jason _know_? Did Tommy tell Jason _where _Kim was? "Mmmhmm…"

"Well, I weas thinking," Jason paused. "If you two patched some stuff up, maybe you'd come to the wedding…?"

"I see." Kim's vague tone gave no hint to Jason what she was thinking.

"Well, do you want me to tell him anything for you? Maybe give you his number or give him your number…"

"_No_," Kim cut him off sharply. Alyssa glanced up momentarily from her work. Kim quieted her tone and repeated in a gentler voice, "No."

"It was just an offer," Jason apologized. "I just want you at the wedding."

Kim knew she should feel guilty, but she just couldn't. Something stopped her. "Listen, Jason," Kim said, ending the conversation, "I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

Jason sighed miserably. But he wouldn't give up. "All right. I'll call again soon. Bye, Kimmy."

"Don't call me that," Kim replied as she heard Jason's laughter on the other side. "Bye, Jase."

By the time Kim turned around, Alyssa had already gotten back to work on her school project. Kim smiled warmly to herself as she watched Alyssa at work. For some reason, the sight of that kid was increasingly comforting to Kim, even during her worst moods. She loved her.

Kim sighed and sat down at the tiny dining table opposite the desk and returned her thoughts to the crisis at hand: Tommy.

Well, first of all, Tommy was driving her nuts. She couldn't stop thinking about him all day. His handsome smile charmed her, yet at the same time, it made her feel sick. Was he taunting her? She felt physically attracted to him, which was something that she'd been denied of feeling for quite a while. He seemed genuinely kind to her, but she couldn't help suspecting him.

And then there was another problem.

By now, Kim put two and two together, concluding that Tommy and Jason had spoken to each other since yesterday. The question was what had Tommy told Jason? Or was it, what had Jason told Tommy? Perhaps it was both.

This was a huge problem for Kim. If only Jason hadn't found her in Georgia. Then none of this would bother her. She found herself growing incredibly suspicious of Tommy. After all, by now he knew of her secret life. That was definitely a threat to the Harper paradise.

She fingered the folded piece of paper in her hands that contained Tommy's number and address. She pondered. Could she? She wasn't even sure if she wanted to see him again, let alone call him. But the very thought of him fueled something inside of her. Was it anger? Kim didn't know.

Nonetheless, Kim needed answers. She checked the battery on her cell phone, but decided against it. She didn't want any caller ID of Tommy's picking up her number.

"Al," Kim interrupted Alyssa with a soft hand on the girl's shoulder. "I'm gonna make a phone call in the hallway. When I get back, take a break and we'll make a snack."

"Ok," Alyssa smiled.

HOTEL

Tommy Oliver decided he'd spend Tuesday as a bum. He'd slept in for a bit until his cell phone rang. He'd jumped out of bed, hoping it was Kim. Nope, it was Jason. He'd tried not to sound so disappointed, but Jason caught on and more suspicions flared. But Tommy had revealed nothing about his run-in with Kim.

He was currently in a light slumber on the balcony of his hotel room. A soft ringing abruptly broke his trance. He'd clumsily leapt out of the balcony chair, knocking a plastic cup off the table in the view of neighboring hotel occupants. But he didn't care. The phone was calling him; _Kim_ was calling him.

By the time he got to the phone, he was out of breath. _Man, I need to get back into shape_, he thought. "Hello?" he breathed excitedly.

There was a slight pause, then a soft, "Tommy?"

Thomas Oliver couldn't contain his giddiness. Before this, he wasn't even sure if he was capable of _being_ giddy. "Kim! I'm glad you called."

"Yeah," Kim replied, surprised to find herself blushing at his happiness.

"So, what's up?" Tommy asked nervously as he plopped himself onto the queen-sized bed. He then mentally slapped himself. _'What's up?' That's all I can come up with?_

"Nothing. I just got off the phone with Jason."

"Oh?"

"Did you talk to him since yesterday?"

"Yeah," Tommy replied cooly. "He called this morning."

"What'd you guys talk about?" Kim demanded.

"Wha- Oh…" Tommy smacked himself for the second time. He should've known she'd be worried if he said anything. "Look, Kim, I _promise_ I didn't say a word."

"Then how come he wants to visit you?" Kim's voice rose angrily. "You must've said _something_ to clue him in!"

Tommy sat up alarmed at Kim's reaction. "No, I didn't. I swear to God, I didn't," Tommy said in the most serious tone possible. When Kim didn't reply, he continued. "I made a promise to you, Kim. And I intend to keep it."

_A promise?_ Kim thought bitterly. _The same kind of promise that you'd always be there for me if something went wrong?_ Kim gasped at the sound of her own thoughts. When did she get so bitter? Since Alyssa came along, she didn't have even an angry thought. What happened? _Tommy happened_. He'd waltzed back into her life, without any permission at all.

"Kim?" Tommy called.

"Huh?" Kim's thoughts were interrupted. She wanted to believe the sincerity in his voice. In fact, she was sure that as of this moment he was telling the truth. "I'm sorry, Tom."

"It's no problem," Tommy said softly and soothingly.

Kim took temporary comfort in his voice, then abruptly stopped herself from enjoying him so much.

Tommy took the initiative to change the subject. "Hey, where are you calling from? My cell phone didn't pick up the number on the caller ID."

"Oh," Kim replied nonchalantly. "I'm on a payphone in the hallway."

"Ah, I understand," Tommy responded suspiciously. Why would she call him on a payphone? "So, have you thought about what we talked about yesterday?"

"Yeah, I did…" Kim's voice trailed off seriously. "I don't think I'm ready to see you again yet."

Tommy couldn't help sounding utterly disappointed. "Oh," he mumbled softly.

Kim really did feel guilty. She didn't like hearing him hurt. Or did she? A part of her felt like punishing him on terms of abandonment. But she restrained herself; what kind of example would she be setting for Alyssa? "But maybe later this week," she found herself saying finally, "I'll be ready."

Tommy's voice lit up like a child on Christmas morning. "Really?"

"Yeah," Kim laughed, despite the emotional confusion tearing her in two. She couldn't believe what she'd just said. _Later this week? What was I thinking? There's no way I'd be ready to see him in a merely couple days._

Tommy smiled. He loved the sound of her laugh. "Well, I completely understand if you need a while," Tommy began. "I want you to be comfortable. After all, it's been a long time." To his surprise, his voice shook towards the end of his sentence.

Kim didn't respond. She shut her eyes. 'A long time' was an understatement. Her thoughts dwelled on a specific week five that occurred years earlier. The dream kept haunting her that day. Before last night, she thought she'd rid herself of that weakness… Kim Hart's weakness. Feelings of sadness, hurt, abandonment, and _anger_ flooded through her.

"Kim?" Tommy repeated several times. "Kim?"

The momentary trance was broken after she finally heard her name being called. "Huh?"

"Just checking if you're there," Tommy explained suspiciously… and worriedly.

"Listen, Tom," Kim said as she glanced at her watch. "I gotta get back to Alyssa. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay," Tommy replied. "Call me when you're ready to see me, and tell Alyssa I said hi."

"I will," Kim's voice said quickly. Before Tommy could say anything more, Kim had hung up the phone.

"That was weird," Tommy said out loud to himself. Kim sure was moody. One moment she'd seem completely fine with him, then she'd seem distant and _angry_. He couldn't understand it. Then again, women were known for their abnormal behavior at a certain time of month… _Don't go there, Tom_, he thought to himself. Five years was definitely a long time, plenty long for people to change. _But what if I don't want her to change?_

Well, now he was confused at his own thoughts. He'd spent all night thinking, and he _knew_ he wanted to be with her… not yet romantically, but as a friend at least. He'd missed her. But she seemed so angry with him sometimes. If anything, he thought that he should be the one angry with her. But for some reason (that was driving him insane), he couldn't find it in himself to be mad at her.

It didn't matter if she left him for someone else… or that she broke up with him in the most heartless way possible… did it? She not once spoke of another guy, even in the last couple days of their relationship. Something was wrong with her; something was bothering her. Was he too ignorant to see that something was eating at her years before? Perhaps he was.

DAYS LATER… FRIDAY

Drip… drip… drip… 

Kim shot up out of bed for what seemed to be the tenth time that night. Her hands scrambled to her mouth to suppress a terror-filled scream. Luckily, the only sound revealed were the tiny muffled whimpers escaping from her lips through her sweat-clad fingers. _God, this dream is relentless_.

Shakily, Kim looked around. The dream had been haunting her since Monday night. Everything was the same as always when she woke up. Alyssa stirred in her sleep, but didn't arouse from her peaceful slumber. _Lucky_, Kim thought enviously towards the child. A quick glance at the clock noted that it was only 4:29am. There were still another couple hours to sleep.

But Kimberly Hart didn't _want_ to sleep. Dark dreams appeared every moment she shut her eyes; she couldn't take it much more. So she finally resorted to just lie there until it was time for Alyssa to wake up.

What was it that was triggering the dream? It felt like her insides were being chewed on. She couldn't stand it. She'd have to stop it somehow; after all, she'd stopped the dream once before. She was more than sure she could do it again. Besides, Alyssa had been throwing worried glances towards her all yesterday. _The last thing I want is my baby girl all worked up and stressed out_, Kim thought.

The stress of the dream was affecting Kim more than she wanted to believe. Not to mention, having Tommy back in town did nothing good for her. She could almost swear he was making things worse, with the dream and all. She was physically and mentally tired, she couldn't focus, and work was irritating the hell out of her. How had she lived through this dream before? How did she rid her mind of the thoughts and darkness? She couldn't remember. She wasn't sure she _wanted_ to remember.

And just as sudden as lightning, it came back to her. She stared up at the ceiling, remembering the nights in her dorm room, lacking sleep, training hard, the soreness of her body, and that _dream_. That disgusting and vile dream. She remembered how it used to haunt her. But back then, she was actually capable of hiding any signs of even having the dream. Something was different this time around. Something changed. Just what was it? Memories flooded through her head and consumed her until she didn't even notice Alyssa waking up at 6:15am.

PHIL'S PALACE

"You know," Dana commented to her fellow employee Martha, "she doesn't look so good." Dana and Martha stopped their work at Phil's Palace to steal a glance at their petite companion, who was currently fumbling over a mess of ketchup and tickets. "I hope Phil doesn't get mad at her."

"Oh, pish-posh!" exclaimed Martha in response. "Phil's a sweet heart. He only tries to _seem_ mean and grumpy. Face it, he's a teddy bear."

Dana laughed. "You're right."

"Well, has she said anything about Monday night with that Tom fellow?" Martha elbowed Dana mischievously.

"Unfortunately, no," Dana sighed. "That woman has real man issues."

"Especially if she turns down a man with an ass like that!" Martha winked at Dana before she returned to her work.

It wasn't very long until the owner, Phil, took notice of Kimberly's decreasing quality of work. The old round man scratched his bald head in confusion, and pulled Kim aside in the wait station.

"My dear," his old voice spoke steadily, "Something is bothering you?"

Kim hugged herself, in fear of getting in trouble. She felt like a ridiculously small child. "I'm really sorry, Phil…"

Phil held up a hand to silence her, and he took her by the shoulders. "You've been a terrific worker over the last few months. Not _once_ have I seen you slack off."

Kim wiped at her eyes stupidly, afraid of getting fired. She couldn't respond.

"Now, now," Phil said gently. "I'm not mad, girl. I'm just surprised."

"I just have a lot on my mind this week," Kim stated simply and truthfully, not daring to meet his eyes.

"I thought so," Phil smiled kindly at her. "You work very hard, and you do a wonderful job caring for your family. But even the busiest bee needs a break sometimes, eh? Take the rest of the day off, little bee."

"But I can't!" Kim was appalled. She'd _never_ taken a day off since she and Alyssa began their new life at Hillside.

"For once, girl," Phil pleaded sternly, "Do not worry about money. Worry about yourself… and keep worrying about Alyssa." Kim caught her breath, knowing Phil was right. "I heard from the grapevine that you're nearly financially set for a down payment of an apartment."

Kim blushed, feeling proud that someone had noticed.

"Take the day off," Phil repeated. "You don't need to worry about money. Dana and Martha can handle the day shift until the night cuts get here. Go home and do absolutely _nothing_. It'll be good for you."

"Yeah," Kim agreed. She smiled at her boss. "Thanks, Phil."

So Kim did exactly what she was told, and she went home. Maybe _this_ is what she needed. A rest. Phil was right. She _never_ took a break from life. This would be good for her. It was too perfect. _This_ is what she needed to get rid of that blasted dream, she was sure.

But it didn't.

As soon as she shut her eyes at home, it all flooded back to her like a waterfall. She felt the pressure build inside her head. The dream tormented her and showed no signs of letting up. It left her shaking and sweating alone in the middle of the room. The feeling of abandonment was overwhelming; it was consuming her. She was crying. Thank God Alyssa wasn't there to witness it. Since earlier that week, she hadn't cried in ages. Something was definitely wrong with her. If only she could figure it out.

And suddenly, a light bulb went on in her head. Something _did_ change earlier this week. How could she not even realize it? The solution was so simple. She couldn't believe it. It had been there, standing right in front of her nose, and she failed to notice it. But that was different now.

She abruptly found herself feeling calmer after her new revelation. Actually, she felt exhilaratingly rejuvenated. She picked herself up off the floor and made her way to the small mirror in front of the bathroom sink. She brushed her caramel locks until they were once again in place. She washed her face and sighed exhaustedly. She now knew what she had to do to get rid of the dream. This was _exactly_ what she needed. So she began to make plans.

Kimberly headed next door to the elderly lady named Anna, who absolutely adored Alyssa. They made arrangements for Anna to baby-sit Alyssa for the night. Kim explained that she was meeting up with an old friend. Later, when school let out, Kimberly picked up Alyssa.

To Alyssa's surprise, Kimberly didn't take them back to Phil's Palace. "I got the day off," Kim explained happily to her. They headed to a sit-down restaurant, and Kim encouraged Alyssa to indulge herself in whatever she wanted. It was the perfect meal for the two of them to have a break from routine.

Needless to say, Alyssa obliged and chatted happily through their meal. She wasn't even upset when Kim explained that she was leaving her with Anna for the night. After the delicious once-in-a-lifetime meal, Kimberly took Alyssa to the park until it was too dark for any more play.

By the time Alyssa was settled comfortably in Anna's room, it was 8:30pm. Kim found herself somewhat reluctant to leave her baby sister, especially since she never had before. But she knew that if she didn't do something about the dreams, she would go insane. So she made sure Anna was set, kissed Alyssa lovingly on the forehead, bid the child goodbye, and promised to return in the morning.

And soon enough, Kimberly Harper found herself riding gleefully on her bike, feeling unbelievably good for the first time that week. It had been so simple. She now knew what triggered the dreams. It was her white knight, her angel. After all, since _he _arrived, her life had felt like nothing but chaos. She hadn't slept well in days. Her physical demeanor had diminished before her own eyes. Circles invaded her eyelids, and she was becoming ghastly pale. But soon, very soon, it would all be over. Everything would settle back into the Harper paradise the way it was supposed to stay. She was going to solve this problem tonight, and she'd never have to think about it again.

Yes, Kimberly Harper knew what she has to do to get rid of the wretched dreams…

…She has to _kill_ Tommy Oliver.


	4. A Demon at Bay Awaits

Disclaimer: Definitely not mine.

Author's note: I am so terribly sorry for the malicious delay in the update of this story, as I began this in 2005. I hope you will forgive me for my abandonment issues, but I assure you it is my full intention to finally finish what I've started so long ago. Yes, I realize this is a crazy story. But hopefully you will put up with it and stick with me until the end. Any comments are welcome.

**Demon at Bay**

The loose strands of Kimberly Harper's hair whipped the side of her head furiously as she sped down the freeway. Most of her hair was propped up into a messy pony tail, and her half bangs flew wildly against the California wind. She'd opted not to use her helmet on the ride over. Nightfall had impaired her vision within the protective head gear, and she didn't feel the need to put up with limited senses. A hypocritical move, she thought to herself, especially since she'd always been consistent with enforcing Alyssa's helmet. No matter, as this wasn't the time to ponder the rights and wrongs of parenting. She had a job to do… to save herself from the eruption of heartache and confusion, and more importantly, to help her get on with hers and Alyssa's sacred lifestyle.

_She was going to kill Tommy Oliver_. She was going to make him pay for his abandonment many years ago and the chaotic disruption he had caused in her present life by appearing out of the blue. She did not care how long ago the traumatic incident had been; the fact in her mind was that he had forgotten about her in her greatest moment of need. They all did. It didn't matter whether or not they knew, though she was sure they did, of her abduction and captivity. She would _never_ forgive them. She was going to do this, and no one was going to stop her. She felt powerful and in control for the first time in a very long time.

The raging hatred in her heart burned. It tore inside her like an addiction. She felt an explosion of fire erupt inside herself, and she gladly welcomed it. She couldn't fathom why she had gone so long without thinking of this grand solution. She had never felt such a dire hunger, and it thrilled her to the core. Tommy Oliver's death would mean ultimate triumph; it would mean self conquer for the demons that dwelled within her soul. More importantly, it would mean _peace._

She took an exit ramp off the highway, towards Hillside Beach. She drew in an excited breath. Tommy's hotel was visible from the ramp: Hillside Valley Premiere Hotel. In her heavy anticipation, she nearly missed the side road that lead to the hotel which sat cozily along the beach front. She pulled into the parking lot and hopped off her bike. She noticed her hands were shaking violently from excitement… or was it fear? She pushed the thought out of her mind, and reminded herself that this needed to be done. She took a deep breath and marched bravely into the hotel lobby, ignoring the kind receptionist.

It wasn't hard to navigate through the hotel. She felt a pang of jealousy in her stomach as she eyed how nice the place was. It had been so long since she had endured the comforts of higher end living. She would love to be able to provide a place this nice for Alyssa. _Alyssa_… the thought of her young companion carved a small smile onto Kim's face. She felt a rush of warmth momentarily. She rubbed her head furiously to shake herself of distracting thoughts. After all, she had a job to do.

What was it anyway? Oh, yeah. Kill Tommy.

Kim was quite sure she wouldn't regret the deed once it had been done. Her eyes darkened and a satisfying grin spread to her face. As quickly as it had come, her smile had been wiped off by a disturbing thought. Surely _Kim_ wouldn't miss him, but would others? Would the murder of Tommy Oliver cause grief to those who _hadn't_ done anything wrong? His friends, perhaps? His parents? She surprisingly and suddenly recalled Karen and James Oliver's undying kindness. How many times as a adolescent had they allowed her to spend the night when things weren't going right at home? How many times had Mrs. Oliver washed her gymnastics leotards for her? Or how many times Mr. Oliver had stayed up with her at night for small chats and soup when she couldn't sleep? She felt rather guilty. They were in her past, and she was sure she'd never see them again anyway. But, she reminded herself, Tommy had this coming. He _deserved_ this, and there was no reason she should ever have to feel remorse for what she was about to do. It fiercely concluded that it did _not_ matter who else got hurt, as long as she and Alyssa were happy and whole and together.

Before she knew it, she had reached his door. She fingered the hotel's business card that Tommy had given her previously. This was it. No going back. Numbly, she rang the doorbell.

It took him a while to get to the door. She heard some shuffling about within the room and the clang of some glasses being picked up and put back down. His friendly voice called, "Just a minute!" A bit more movement, and soon enough she could hear the door being unlocked. Her heart skipped a beat. It swung wide open.

And there he was.

Kim saw Tommy's face frozen in a mix of surprise, happiness, and embarrassment at the sight of her. He stood there, a full head taller than her, in jogging pants and a tank, and wearing the obvious stubble of someone who hadn't shaved all day.

Her stomach gave a violent jolt. In all her excitement about the glories of his murder, she had not thought to conjure up _how_ she would do it. Seeing him in person made her realize just how much bigger and stronger he was than her. It wasn't as though she didn't already know this, but she hadn't really thought about how huge he was compared to her since the past days of adolescent cuddling. Back when they were on the team together, she could always manage on her own for a long while in a spar against him. But she always remembered that despite that she put up a hell of a fight, he almost always won. She simply stood there, dumbfounded with herself.

Tommy ran a hand through his mahogany hair in a nervous fashion and flashed a warm smile at her. "I didn't know you were coming!" he said happily. "You should've called. This place is kind of a mess." True to his word, she had seen out of the corner of her eyes his clothes strewn lazily about on the dresser behind him.

Tommy peered into her face worriedly, as she hadn't spoken and her face was frozen in what he thought was confusion. "Are you okay?"

"I – uh, yeah," she stammered, tearing her gaze off of him and finding an interesting spot on the floor. In her inability to improvise on the situation, she suddenly felt like a child. She furrowed her eyebrows, trying to calculate her next move. However, she didn't need to; he stepped back.

"Well," he said, smiling and opening the door wider, "Come in."

She complied. She couldn't believe herself. Frustration started to boil, and soon enough her hands began to shake again. She did her best to will them to stop, but Tommy had already noticed. For her sake, he pretended he hadn't seen. He led her inside and sat her on the bed, his face still glowing. He showed no indication that he knew what she had come to attempt to do to him. And for that, Kim was thankful. If she didn't have a solid plan of execution, she at least would have the element of surprise.

"Can I get you something to drink?" he asked her kindly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She nearly flinched at his touch, but managed to make it seem like a shrug. "Sure," she replied. Tommy proceeded to the mini bar for something to serve her.

Meanwhile, Kim sat numbly for a few seconds. She couldn't believe how dense she had been. She had planned every detail out of making sure Alyssa was taken care of for this task that she had spared no thought to how she would murder Tom. The frustration overwhelmed her as her eyes glazed in and out of focus. _Think_, she thought. There had to be something she could do. She was determined not to let this trip be a waste, determined not to let him weasel his way out for another day of life. He would die today, because he had to. And then it came to her. She subconsciously smiled to herself in satisfaction. She may have not have planned very well, but out of habit she remembered she kept her pocketknife securely in her bag. She planned desperately in her head. He may be larger and stronger, but from what remembered she was just as quick as he was. If she could only catch him off guard…

Tommy noticed her unfocused face had slowly erupted into a smile as he pulled out two cokes from the mini bar. Although he was glad to see her relaxing now that he'd invited her in, he was taken aback by her mood. He felt hesitant; since the day at the beach he'd noticed that she had violent mood swings. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to her display of emotions other than PMS. He pushed his curiosity aside, for he still found pleasure in her presence. They may not be on the best terms, but he was determined to have his friend back. He felt worried that she might stressing over her parenthood of Alyssa. He watched her perched on the bed as a peculiar and familiar feeling slid into his heart. How long had it been since they were in a bedroom together? He blushed at the thought of their past. They'd never had sex, but he certainly had not been the first teenager to long for his girlfriend's body. But that was then, and it had been a long time since he was able to call her his. He realized he was staring and blinked rapidly. "Here you go," he said, offering her a coke.

She took it gladly, coming out of her trance. Her eyes met his for the first time. "Thanks," she said.

"So, where's Alyssa?" Tom asked before he took a sip of his own soda.

"I left her with a neighbor," Kim replied. She hated to beat around the bush.

"Neighbor doesn't mind watching her this late?" he sat in a chair opposite her. He noticed she hadn't opened her drink.

"No," Kim said, inwardly exasperated at the thought of small talk. "The neighbor really likes her. Anyway, Al is staying the night there." Kim hated having to waste time. She wanted to kill him now and get it over with, but she couldn't do it when his attention was focused entirely on her. She paused, looking around for something to distract him with.

Tommy, however, felt elated. She'd left Alyssa with someone else overnight to come talk to him alone. He felt a warmth wipe over his face, thinking that she had done that for him. But then he noticed how agitated she had suddenly become. Maybe she'd come to tell him she never wanted to see him again. He felt a stab at his stomach at the thought. He wasn't sure he could handle _another_ rejection from the woman who sat before him. "All night?" he managed to ask.

"Yeah," Kim said, suddenly realizing how he might get the wrong message. At that point, she realized it would be a _good_ thing to give him the wrong message. It would set him off guard. She mustered the friendliest smile she could at him. "Yeah… so I could have time to talk with you."

Tommy smiled, a little confused and a little suspicious of yet _another_ mood swing. But before he could respond, Kim's cell phone rang. Kim tried to hide her frustration. If that was Jason, she swore to herself she'd never talk to him again. But it wasn't. It was the elderly neighbor Anna's phone number that showed up on her caller ID. She hoped that everything was okay with Alyssa.

"I have to take this, Tommy," she explained. "It's the neighbor's number."

Tommy nodded in understanding and moved across the room to his desk. He opened his laptop and proceeded to play around mindlessly on it, giving Kim privacy on her phone.

"Hello," Kim said.

"Hi, Kim," Alyssa's voice came through the receiver.

Kim turned to make sure Tommy couldn't hear anything Alyssa said. He was sitting with his back to her, facing his computer. She sighed defeatedly; this would've been the perfect opportunity to attack him if Alyssa hadn't been on the phone. But her needs would have to wait, for Alyssa was her number one priority at the moment. "What's up, kid?"

"Nothing," she heard Alyssa say in a timid voice. "I just wanted to say goodnight before bed."

"Aw, thank you, sweetie," Kim replied, remembering it was their first night apart. "I'm glad you called. I love hearing your voice. I know it's our first night apart, but I promise I'll be back in the morning. Nothing could keep me away."

Alyssa paused, as if to smile on the other side of the line. "Where did you go?" she asked.

"Erm," Kim hesitated, knowing Tommy could still hear her side of the conversation. "I'm at Tommy's."

Alyssa squealed in delight at this news, and Kim had to tear the phone away from her ear momentarily. "Tommy's! I knew it!"

Kim didn't know how to respond. So Alyssa gushed, "I really like him. He's so nice! Is he going to be coming over soon?"

"I really don't know, kid," Kim replied in a pained voice.

"He's not leaving town, is he?" Alyssa said, without acknowledging Kim's response. "I'd really miss him if he was gone."

Kim shut her eyes and put her free hand on her head, pained by Alyssa's words. After a moment, she said, "All right, Al, it's time for bed. Make sure you brushed your teeth and washed your face."

"Okay, okay," Alyssa resigned. "G'night."

"I'll see you tomorrow, kid." Kim's voice trembled. "I love you."

Kim hung up. Her thoughts began to race. _"I'd really miss him if he was gone_." Kim began to feel conflicted. She didn't care anymore if Tommy's parents would have to mourn the death of their only son. She didn't care about breaking their hearts. She didn't care if Jason lost the best man to his wedding. She was glad Trini was dead, and she wanted so badly to throw Tommy in her direction. She didn't give a damn about what anyone in the world would have to say if she murdered Thomas Oliver. Except Alyssa.

Alyssa. The one person in her entire world that she _did_ care about. She had promised herself after taking Alyssa in that she would do anything and everything in her power to save that child from anymore heartache. And now Kimberly had a dilemma. Killing Tommy was the only way she felt she could rid herself of her demons. And yet, it was also a deed that could hurt Alyssa. Kim had sacrificed so much to give this girl a home, and she wasn't sure she was willing to commit a selfish execution if it meant any, even if just a little, pain for her sister. Kim felt as though her soul had split in half. The flame of hatred that burned inside her not long ago had extinguished slightly, and what was left was a woman torn in two.

Tommy had gotten up from his desk and made his way over to her without her noticing. He had called her name several times to no avail. When he approached her, he saw that she had gone pale. Her eyes seemed to flash back and forth, as though she were wracking her brain to make an important decision. Now that he was closer, he saw that she was taking shallow breaths. He couldn't tell if she was having a panic attack or simply just thinking very hard. He reached a hand out and touched her shoulder.

She jumped back, startling him. She glared at him momentarily, and said in a breathy voice, "I – I've got to use the bathroom."

"Uh, sure," he said, pointing her to the restroom. He was worried. She seemed to sway as she got up. He was unsure of whether to help her, but he saw how she had reacted when he touched her. He didn't want to do that again.

It took all her strength to make her way to the bathroom. She shut it behind her and locked it. She felt incredibly light headed. She turn the water faucet on, so he couldn't hear her. She slid to the floor, willing herself not to pass out. Her face was wet. Was she crying? She couldn't tell. But now, she seemed to realize that something was wrong with her. Alyssa's voice had torn her from her blissful reverie of murder. A week ago, although she still did blame Tommy and the other Rangers for her pain, she never would've thought to _kill_ them. She started to frighten herself. "What's wrong with me?" she asked aloud.

She could kill him, she could do it. She wanted to do it. Everything inside her burned. She felt physical pain at the thought of not doing it; it felt as though her life depended on Tommy's death. She felt like a monster was fighting its way out of her. But Kimberly Hart emerged from Kim Harper and fought hard to keep the beast at bay. The monster raged inside her.

_Do it_.

I can't.

_You can kill him. _

_Do it!_

No, I can't do that to Alyssa. He's our first friend in so long…

_Friend? He abandoned you! He left you to die!_

Maybe… maybe he didn't know.

_He knows!_

Even if he does, it doesn't mean I should kill him!

_Who gave him the right to fuck with your life?_

What if he didn't mean to?

_He deserves to die. Rip his guts out._

No!

_Slit his throat._

No, no, I won't.

_Watch the life drain from his eyes! He deserves it!_

I won't do it!

_If you don't kill him, you will never be free._

Shut up! Shut up!

She had to make a decision now, before she went insane. Do it or don't. Now was the time.

On the other side of the door, Tommy could hear the faucet running. He heard her sobbing. His concern grew when he'd heard her slide against the door. Now he was trying to turn the doorknob, but it was locked. "Kim?" he called. She didn't answer. He knocked. She didn't answer. He started to bang louder on the door. "Kim! Are you okay?" He pressed his ear up against the door, and he could hear her talking to herself. He strained to hear what she was saying, but the faucet was drowning out the sounds. "Kim, please!" he begged, worrying furiously. "Open the door!" She hadn't seemed to hear him. Something was wrong here. What if she was in trouble, and she couldn't let him know? The thought sent panic ripping through him. "Step back from the door!" he yelled. "I'm going to kick it in!"

Just as he was about to force the door open, he heard her shaky voice call, "I'm okay."

He sighed in relief and ran a hand through his hair. He pressed his head against the door and said as calmly as he could, "Please, open the door."

"Okay," came her soft reply.

Kim got up slowly and carefully. She leaned on the counter momentarily recovering from the battle that raged inside her. She shut the faucet off. She didn't dare look in the mirror for fear of the monster she may find. But monster or not, now was the time. She had to make her decision now. She wanted to do it. But would she?

She unlocked the door and pulled it open slightly. She took in his worried appearance. He was panting slightly, gripping the door frame and staring intently at her. Genuine concern was written across his face. No, she didn't want to kill him. But she needed to. She fought the need hard, and she could feel herself crumbling before him. And before she knew it, he had advanced on her. She stepped back, but not quickly enough. At first she thought he was trying to strangle her. And then she realized he was hugging her. _Don't kill him_, she begged herself, _please, please don't kill him! _The will to lash out at him it was becoming too much for her. Alyssa's words came to her again: _"I'd really miss him if he was gone."_

Tommy held on to her. She was trembling violently. His mind was racing. He didn't know what happened to make her this way. Was it something he'd done? Her eyes were puffy. She was breathing hard. He realized she was inadvertently hyperventilating. Slowly, he guided her to the bed and sat her down. Her arms were wrought; she seemed to be restraining herself. He couldn't fathom what had brought her to this state. He knelt before her and peered into her face. She stared back intently.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly.

"I don't know," she gulped honestly through tears, restraining herself from attacking him. _Alyssa_, she thought, _Think of Alyssa… she wouldn't want you to do it._ She searched her brain for more reasons not to do it, but nothing could top Alyssa. Her eyes searched his imploringly, and she willed herself to think of anything but thoughts of vicious murder. She had to focus on something. She focused on his face, his handsome face.

A face she now wanted so badly to hate. A face that she had once loved. A face she'd dreamt of too many times. His hands squeezed tight on her shoulder in a reassuring fashion. She put her trembling hands over his and saw the earnestness in his eyes. Her eyes trailed down to his neck and then to his shoulders, which were looking quite protruding in the tank. She'd just now noticed how awkward their position was. He was kneeling before her, his face near hers. He looked more ripped than he had the last time she'd seen him in such an outfit. Her eyes lingered on his chest and down to his abs, surprised to find herself wishing that he wasn't wearing that tank.

She suddenly realized she wasn't thinking of committing an awful crime; she was thinking of a different kind of act. She a new yearning, not for murder, but for intimacy. The monster inside her was desensitizing her. She needed to feel human again. She needed to feel touch. She held onto this thought, in her final attempt to keep the monster at bay. She had to.

She leaned forward and kissed him.

Tommy was more than surprised. He hadn't expected her soft lips to touch his. He'd forgotten what she tasted like, and before he could stop himself he returned the kiss softly. Her lips were mostly sweet, but stained with the saltiness of her tears. Their kiss broke off gradually. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers. He placed a hand on her face. She was crying…

No, he couldn't do this to her. He couldn't kiss her when she was in a state like this. She was confused, she was_ scared_. He couldn't help but feel guilty even though he didn't instigate it. He couldn't expect them to be more than friends after the way they broke up. He would be there for her, but he would not take advantage of her. He lay her down on the bed and cradled her in a way he'd never done before. He looked down at her face.

Kim was surprised to find that the monster inside her felt almost fully contained. She held onto her thoughts of Tommy like a lifeline. _His_ lifeline. If she didn't keep her focus on this, she knew she would give in to the monster and attempt to kill him. She had to have him this way to save his life.

He noticed her unblinking eyes longing for him. He couldn't mistake that look. She'd never looked at him that way. As teenagers they were both modest, and had never before had the opportunity to explore each other physically. But now…

"Make love to me," she said softly, one arm clamping his waist. She slid her other hand inside his tank, lingering her fingers a the waistband of his jogging pants. He felt her trembling slightly

Tommy's heart rate sped up. He tried to ignore the bulge in his pants. "I –," he began, "I don't think it's a good idea."

She started to tremble again at his rejection. He felt pained at her reaction. She needed this, for him. "Please?" she whispered.

He saw the desperation in her eyes, and she gripped him harder. He could see how badly she depended on this moment. It was more than lustful yearning. Her eyes begged him, as though she would die inside if he didn't take her that moment. It was then that Tommy realized, yet again, that there was nothing in this world Kim could request that he wouldn't do for her.

Tommy Oliver gave in. He carefully rolled her onto her back and pinned her down gently. He felt her soft breath against his chin, tipped her face up towards his, and then he kissed her.


End file.
